Can't You See My Wings Are Ready?
by Jedi Kid
Summary: An AU story that attempts to answer the question what if Draco Malfoy hadn't become a Death Eater? Reposted
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** It all belongs to JKR, I'm just playing with parts of it

**A/N:** I originally started this story before DH came out and had up to Chapter 10 written, after DH came out I abandoned it but I've now decided to return to it and complete it.

- - - - -

**Prologue**

It was September again, and September meant Hogwarts, and Hogwarts meant a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Not that Draco cared about Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was a rubbish subject anyway that he was only taking because his father had told him to. Lucius had, of course, been released from Azkaban thanks to his many bribes to Fudge. It had been one of the last things Fudge had done as Minister, and one of the reasons that many in the Ministry had been so egger to replace him.

'Spy on the new teacher,' Lucius had said, 'and give me weekly reports that I can give to the Dark Lord.' While Draco felt it was beneath him to report on the latest idiot's teachings, he was only too eager to do something to help the Dark Lord. It was a shame that he wasn't of age until March or else he'd have taken the Mark already. Unfortunately, the idiots at the Ministry could monitor underage wizards, so he was useless to the Dark Lord until the glorious day of March 20th.

So it was with much boredom that Draco collected Crabbe and Goyle before lounging gracefully in his seat at the Slytherin table. Only then did he spare a glance at the head table, his eyes pausing on the new teacher. She looked like she was barely any older then some of the students she'd be teaching. Dressed in robes of dark blue with silver highlights, she was looking around the Great Hall in abject fascination. But it was her hair that really caught Draco's attention. Barely longer then crew cut length, it looked like it had originally been blond, but was now streaked so heavily with blue and red that the initial colour was no longer easy to see. It also looked like it had never been acquainted with a hairbrush.

Professor Liz Xanders remained oblivious to Draco's attention. Instead her focus was on the enchanted ceiling, as she made an effort to determine exactly what spells had been used to make it like that. It wasn't until Headmaster Dumbledore introduced her that she actually looked down at the students. The students didn't appear to be anything special – besides being wizards and witches. Some were studious, some weren't, some were hard working, some weren't, some were powerful, some weren't. As she was scooping food onto her plate, part of her mind was figuring out which students would work together well regardless of house or bloodline. If they could only be convinced that such things were unimportant…

Then her eyes fell upon a boy at the Slytherin table, who was doing his very best to look entirely bored by everything. Curious, she turned to Professor Snape on her left, who might have been the best member of staff – save the Headmaster - to carry on a conversation with were he not angry with her for getting the position he coveted.

"Who's that boy?"

"Which boy?"

"The albino, in your house."

Snape arched an eyebrow. "I am assuming you mean Draco, who has fair skin and is most definitely not an albino. He is also Lucius Malfoy's son."

_A Death Eaters son. Well that could be interesting._

***

Draco didn't have Defence Against the Dark Arts until Wednesday, and didn't give any thought about their new professor until then. In fact, he'd almost been ready to write her off completely until she walked into the room.

At only 5' 2" she was barely taller then many of the younger years, and hardly had an intimidating presence. She was dressed in Muggle jeans and a T-shirt with the words "live dangerously" printed across the front. Upon entering the room, she took a seat on her desk at the front and began taking role call, marking things down beside names using a Muggle writing tool.

"Right," she said once she was finished. "Unlike some of your past teachers, I'm actually qualified to teach this. I grew up in South Africa, studying under a shaman there, so I probably know a bunch of spells that you Brits have never seen before. Now, you're all here for different reasons. Some because you enjoy this subject, other's because you think you should take it, or your parents think you should take it, and some because you're going to spy on me then pass information to your Dark Lord."

Draco started in surprise, feeling sure that she'd been looking at him when she said that. She hadn't preformed Legilimency on him as over the summer, his father had taught him to recognise when it was being performed and how to occlude his mind. So how did she know?

"I don't care why you're here, nor do I care how you do in this course. Take notes if you want, or stare out the window, or pass notes to your friend, or even skip the class. I really don't care. It's your future, and your mark. I get paid no matter how you do."

_All right_, Draco thought as he studied her again, _this could end up being interesting after all_.


	2. Chapter 1: Christmas Eve

**Part One: Spreading the Wings **

**Chapter 1: Christmas Eve**

Draco had never been so glad to see the Hogwarts Express. Just a week before term end, his father had sent him a letter informing him that he was allowed to attend the Christmas Eve festivities even though he wasn't marked. He hadn't ceased bragging in the confines of the Slytherin common room, and as a result had found himself on the receiving end of many envious glares – not that he wasn't used to that already. He'd kept his word to his father, of course, and given him weekly updates on Professor Xanders. This could only be a reward for his good behaviour.

"Have fun on Christmas Eve, Draco," Pansy said as they stepped off the train.

He simply smirked. "Of course."

"Ready?" Narcissa asked as he approached her with his trunk. Draco simply handed her his trunk and strolled off through the barrier, dodging crowds of Muggles on his way to the Apparation point.

"You give them too much respect," Narcissa said when she caught up with him. "You're father would have ploughed straight through them."

"Perhaps I have been spending too much time around the Muggle-loving idiots at Hogwarts." Arriving at the Floo point he Flooed into the foyer of Malfoy Manor. "Hello, Father."

"Draco, come join me in the parlour."

Following Lucius into the large room with deep green walls trimmed with silver Draco took a seat on one of the black leather couches. Tall cabinets and bookshelves were interspersed evenly around the room, and quite a few threatening looking objects adorned a few low tables. Sitting down across from his son, Lucius summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey and poured them each a generous amount.

Leaning back Lucius eyed his son over the rim of his glass and said; "Now, tell me about this Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, your letters did not say much."

Taking a sip of the whiskey, Draco snorted. "There isn't much to say. She seems deliberately lazy at times, but definitely knows what she's talking about. Keeps assigning us what she calls 'oral-reports'. Instead of writing an essay on something, we research and then give a verbal report to the class. Unfortunately I can't give them false information because she simply corrects anything you get wrong and adds other things on after you're done."

"Is she loyal to the headmaster?"

"Doesn't seem to be too loyal to anyone. Says what she pleases, acts how she pleases. She does like Muggles though, dresses like one in fact."

Lucius was silent for a moment. Draco found himself itching to ask about Christmas Eve, but knew that to do so would invoke his father's wrath.

Draining his glass in one swift motion, Lucius looked at his son. "Keep an eye on her then. The old fool hardly needs any more allies." Slamming his glass down, he stood up. "Though we shall deal them a morale blow in a couple nights time, you should enjoy yourself."

- - - - -

Christmas Eve arrived, and Draco, dressed in the same black robes as his father but without the skull mask, apparated alongside Lucius to the meeting spot. A cold wind was gusting, causing the light dusting of snow to swirl through the spruce trees and around them.

"I see that you brought your son after all," Bella called out upon seeing them.

"I'll have you know that the Dark Lord himself condoned it." Turning to Draco, Lucius said, "Our targeted village is just over the other side of that hill. By morning light, the village and all the Muggles in it will be burned to the ground."

Draco could barely hide his impatience to get started. Slowly others Apparated in and tasks were divided up. As they moved into the village, he followed his father closely who was in the company of the elder Crabbe and Goyle. Within minutes, screams of terror could be heard throughout the village. That terror was illuminated on the faces of the Muggles by the orange light from the burning homes. Smoke billowed up into the night sky, obscuring the stars but not the green light from the Dark Mark.

Draco found himself itching to pull his wand and participate in the fun. However he knew because he was underage the Ministry would be bear down on their heads the moment he did so.

Screams of pain from down the street alerted him to Bella using the Cruciatus Curse as his father levitated and dropped Muggles repeatedly, smiling as their screams of terror changed to screams of pain.

"Why are you doing this?" a Muggle man yelled, storming out from behind the burning wreckage of a building towards Lucius. "We haven't done anything to you!"

"You exist," Lucius sneered. Then with a flick of his wand the man burst and blood went everywhere.

Draco recoiled in shock and horror as his father turned to him laughing. "That, Draco, is how we treat those Muggles who presume that they could ever be a wizard's equal."

Draco managed a mute nod, trying took look anywhere but at his father. His eyes fell upon Goyle who was using various binding charms to pin a woman to the ground. Draco found that no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't ignore the woman's screams of pain as Goyle pounded into her.

Just as he was sure he was going to be sick, Draco felt his Father's hand on his shoulder. "Does that interest you? Well, I'm sure we can find one for you, after all that doesn't require magic."

Before Draco could even think up a reply, Lucius seemed to pull a struggling girl out of thin air and presented her to Draco.

"Merry Christmas, son."

- - - - - -

Draco arrived home in a numbed state, mechanically following his father. As soon as he was alone in his own room, it seemed as if all the events of the night came crashing back to him. Draco ran to the washroom and was violently sick into the toilet for a good five minutes.

Stripping off the black Death Eaters robe, he threw it as far away from him as he could manage before curling up in a ball on the washroom floor. His sweat-soaked white shirt clung to his skin as he lay there shaking, unable to drive the girl's screaming from his mind.

_She'd been younger than him, about 14, with curly brown hair and blue eyes, and she'd been terrified. What she hadn't known was that he had been terrified too. Terrified to do what he had to, terrified to be too gentle with her, and terrified for her because he knew that when it was all over, his father would make sure that it wasn't possible for her to identify them or anyone, ever again._

There was nothing wrong with ridding the world of Muggle scum or getting rid of everything that they had made. _But that, never in a million years…_

Gasping for air, Draco squeezed his eyes tightly shut to keep in the tears only to have them snap open again as the images replayed themselves behind his closed eyelids.

_I'm not a bad person!_ Draco's mind screamed.

But it wasn't true. There was a difference between killing those who deserved it and brutally raping them. In fact Draco wasn't even sure about the killing part anymore. After tonight, he could still see that man exploding in a shower of blood at the flick of his father's wand.

Clenching his hair in his hands, Draco found himself on the verge of sobbing and admitted to himself that maybe he wasn't cut out to be a Death Eater after all – especially not one like his father.


	3. Chapter 2: Chess

**Chapter 2: Chess**

Snow covered fields and hills flashed by outside the window of the Hogwarts Express, but Draco wasn't truly seeing it. Over a week later and he still wasn't sleeping. He still heard the screams and saw the blood everywhere when he closed his eyes. Still heard his father's laughter, his father's praise after he had done _that_.

"Draco," Pansy purred, coming into the compartment and taking a seat next to him to stroke the side of his face. "Did you enjoy Christmas? I saw the results on the front of the prophet."

Swallowing the bile that was threatening to choke him, he replied, "Don't speak so loudly, lest someone hear and turn me over to Dumbledore."

"But how was it?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Pansy, I'm tired, let me be."

Pouting, she pulled away from him. "I want details later."

Draco simply jerked his head, knowing that he'd have to tell everyone something eventually.

- - - - - - - -

Professor Xanders sat at the head table fidgeting with her cutlery as she watched the snow falling over the students' heads, stopping before it reached them. Three students were dead, and even more not returning at the insistence of their parents thanks to the "holiday festivities" of the Death Eaters. When the lack of returning students had been brought up at the staff meeting, the dour man currently sitting to her right had said that this was hardly unusual Death Eater activity.

Harry was awfully subdued, she suspected that he was blaming himself somehow for what had happened. The _Daily Prophet_ had been talking about Harry being somehow destined to destroy Voldemort for a few months now, and given how the Headmaster treated the boy she had a sneaking suspicion that for once the paper was correct. Glancing at the Headmaster's she decided from the concerned look on his face that he would be talking with Harry sometime soon.

Letting her gaze drift over to the other side of the hall, she looked at Draco who was picking at his food. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his clothing was unusually rumpled looking as if he hadn't taken the time he normally did to make himself look pristine. As if sensing he was being watched, Draco looked up at her and their eyes met for a brief second before he looked back down at his plate. Xanders felt a shiver run up her spine at the emptiness and defeat in his grey eyes.

"Something's wrong with your silver prince."

Snape looked over at Draco. "I see nothing."

"Something happened to him over Christmas break, and he's suffering from it. He isn't acting like himself at all."

Snape gave an exasperated sigh. "Perhaps Mr. Malfoy is simply tired from the Christmas festivities. I suspect he will be back to 'normal' in a few days."

Giving up, Xanders continued to watch the boy pick at his food. _He is suffering, whether it was expected or not. Perhaps it's time for me to do something._

- - - - - - - -

Draco walked into Defence Against the Dark Arts Wednesday and took his usual seat at the back, trying to ignore the blinding sunlight streaming in through the window and reflecting off his desk. Sunday night he had, of course, told his housemates how wonderful Christmas Eve had been, even though he'd wanted to go boil himself for it afterwards.

Xanders came in and started into some prattle about a new thing where they'd work in pairs on the rest of the assignments for this term. There were quite a few groans from members of all Houses when she said that she was going to assign these pairs to promote inter-house collaboration. Draco knew he should care, but couldn't bring himself to feel anything but numb.

Next to him, Pansy was fuming about getting paired with some Hufflepuff. But Draco continued to stare straight ahead, even when Xanders announced the next pairing to be "Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter."

Potter was spluttering in indignation on the other side of the room, even more so when they were told that they had to sit with their partners. Draco simply grabbed his things and made his way slowly to Potter's desk, because he'd be the one to loose House points if neither of them moved. Everyone always favoured Potter.

"You'd better work, Malfoy, because I don't want my perfect mark messed up."

"She'd give you a perfect mark even if you didn't hand in perfect work," Draco heard himself say. "After all, you are the _Chosen One_."

Xanders placed a piece of parchment on their desk with the instructions. "Now if you refuse to work well with your partner, not only will your mark suffer, but you will also loose house points."

Potter sat there fuming, and Draco tried hard to care. Then at the end of class, when Potter barked out that he wanted to meet in the library that night at eight, Draco simply nodded and left.

- - - - - - - -

Xanders leaned back against the window frame of one of the windows in Dumbledore's office, staring out at the snow-covered courtyard where a few bewitched snowballs were zooming around. McGonagall had been ranting for a couple weeks now on the subject of Draco Malfoy to anyone who would listen, it was only now that she'd turned on the Headmaster. Personally Xanders thought if she wanted to do the boy any good she'd have a plan instead of talking.

"I'm worried about him, Albus!" McGonagall was saying. "Normally I have to take off house points to get him to be quiet in my class but I've barely heard a word from him all month. Ever since Christmas break he's just sat silently at the back. Sometimes when I call on him he blinks at me like I've just pulled him in from where ever his thoughts are before answering."

"Honestly, Minerva," said Snape. "Just because he's become silent doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him. He still knows what's going on around him, and he's still turning in excellent work. When he decides to talk he will talk. After all weren't you the one who wished he'd shut up before Christmas."

"The boy doesn't talk, Severus! While at the beginning it was welcome, I have not heard one snide comment from him since he left for break, and it's starting to worry me."

"I've heard one," Xanders cut in, continuing to look out the window. "I paired him and Harry for a project and Harry protested violently. There was only one remark from Draco and it lacked his usual venom."

"Is Mister Malfoy that great of a problem?" Dumbledore asked. "Because I had plans to leave the school tomorrow. However, if there is an issue I will stay and deal with it."

"No," said Snape at the same moment McGonagall said;

"Something must be done about him Albus, it's gone on too long for it just to be a passing phase. I think that his father involving him in the Death Eater activities over the break had a negative effect on him."

Sneering Snape said, "Perhaps, Minerva, you should look after Potter since he also seemed affected by events over Christmas break."

"I have spoken with Harry," Dumbledore interrupted. "And that situation has been dealt with. Now, is this situation with Mister Malfoy worth me staying to work out?"

"No," Xanders cut in, turning her head away from the window to face them. "Draco will not speak to Severus because he is his father's friend, and this issue appears to stem from the events at Christmas Eve, which he was apparently invited to. He will not talk to either of you because you are the opposites of his father and he does not know if he can trust you. I've been trying to show him another path by pairing him with Harry in hopes that they can work out their differences. If they can, it may prove to be educational for both of them, and it may keep Draco from following in his fathers footsteps."

McGonagall's nostrils flared. "I think it would be best to have you at the school, Albus. It would be safer for all involved."

Xanders snorted. "And sacrifice something that's important to the war effort?"

"But if something happens…"

With an exaggerated sigh, Xanders turned back to the window. "I was never much of a chess player; however my mentor was and I always remember him explaining to me something called a queen's sacrifice where you sacrifice your strongest piece so that you may win. Essentially that's what this is, sacrificing the Headmaster's presence at the school for a greater purpose."

"She has a point, Minerva. This is something that must be done. If there are no pressing matters keeping me here, then I should be off to prepare. Look out for Draco, wont you Liz?"

Glancing at him, Xanders gave a stiff nod before turning back to the window. He moved closer to McGonagall for a few quiet words before leaving.

Once Dumbledore had left, McGonagall turned to the younger woman. "You never should have put those kind of ideas in his head!"

Staring out at the closing darkness, Xanders replied, "He's leading the war effort for your side; I can hardly give him ideas that he hasn't already thought of. As for the chess reference, I know you're a chess player and was trying to put it in terms that you'd understand. You're simply worried because he's been injured once and could be again. There is little you can do for him in any case. To use another chess analogy, the board is set and the pieces in play. All you can do is work with the situation you're in to try to win."


	4. Chapter 3: Confessions

**Chapter 3: Confessions**

Draco could admit to himself that having been partnered with Potter for Defence Against the Dark Arts was not as horrible as he might have thought it would be. Potter happened to know the library like the back of his hand – though that was probably a side effect of hanging around with Granger – and had his own defence books that the library didn't. When asked about it, he'd simply explained in a smug tone that they'd been birthday and Christmas presents from the werewolf Lupin. He also had an annoying habit of being able to find practically everything on the subject.

Draco was used to being the first one to find information, then taunting the other Slytherins by taking the books out and making them beg to borrow them. He was also used to Crabbe and Goyle's blatant stupidity and unconditional following, whereas Potter was not only capable of coming up with his own thoughts, but had the awful tendency of arguing with him.

Needless to say, they'd been thrown out of the library quite a few times while they were researching their first assigned curse.

However, rather bizarrely, Draco found himself looking forward to the evenings he spent with Potter. The few times this term when they'd been arguing, he'd forgotten all about Christmas Eve, and had focused solely on trying to best Potter. Another plus of Potter's company was that he never brought up how wonderful Death Eaters were. In fact, much to Draco's surprise, he didn't bring them up at all, choosing simply to focus on the work. Then, after their first presentation, when Professor Xanders had outlined information they'd missed, which was in one book that they had not looked in, Draco found himself following Potter as he pelted down to the library to look for it. Even more shockingly, when it hadn't been there and Potter had ranted about the unfairness of taking marks off because of a book they didn't have access to, Draco found himself _agreeing_ with Gryffindor's golden boy.

Now they were on the second curse, and Potter had found the only information on it. Draco found himself wishing they could be on the third assignment, which was a poison. As soon as they started that one he was going to Snape and begging books off him just to show up Potter.

Suddenly, Potter slammed the book he was reading shut and stood up.

"That's it. I'm going to see Xanders about books where we can actually find this information."

"Given up have you Potter? How un-Gryffindor like."

"Malfoy, did you not notice that last time we got marks taken off because there was a book that wasn't available at Hogwarts with more information in it, or that I have books that aren't available at Hogwarts. Obviously there's other books out there and I want to know how she expects us to get out hands on them, because I highly doubt saying 'Praemcruor is a blood curse' will get us a good mark."

Draco considered telling Potter that there were probably plenty of books in his family's personal collection that weren't at Hogwarts, but since Potter was already striding away, he settled for grabbing his things and racing after the Gryffindor.

Potter seemed to barely restrain himself from pounding on the door, earning himself a raised eyebrow from Xanders when she finally opened it.

"We can't find anything about our curse. Obviously the library doesn't have any information on it," Potter said.

Xanders signalled for them to come in. Her office wasn't like any other office Draco had ever seen. It had a pair of short couches with a coffee table between them in front of her desk, and the walls were mostly hidden behind bookshelves.

"You have the Praemcruor curse, do you not? The library has one book with it, and I have three." Waving her wand at the wall, she murmured something, and another bookcase appeared. "None of these books are allowed to leave this room. Personally, I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to come to me looking for information."

Closing the door, she went back to her desk and took a seat behind it, picking up a book that had multi-coloured slips of paper marking off various pages. Tilting his head, Draco squinted at the title and was surprised to see that it read, 'Dirtying the Bloodlines, the Impact of Muggles on Pureblood Society'.

Potter hadn't noticed and was already perusing the bookshelves, so Draco turned all of his attention to finding the information before Potter did.

- - - - - - -

Draco was beginning to think that he looked like the biggest teacher's pet in the world, since he'd spent the last three nights in Xanders' office. Even more irritating then that was the fact that Potter had found two of the three books, while he hadn't found any. However, he was starting to doubt that there was any real information on the curse, since so far they'd only found a description of the wand movement, the incantation and the fact that it was more powerful if done non-verbally.

Glaring at the bookshelf, Draco reflected that he must be utterly pathetic to be spending Friday night on this project, but then it was due in less then a week and they had yet to find anything useful. Crouching down, he spotted a book that he recognised from his family's library, and pulled it off the shelf. Flipping it open to the table of contents, he spotted the Praemcruor curse halfway down the page.

"Ha, I found it."

"Good," said Potter in a tone that implied it was actually good, which meant he hadn't been viewing this as a competition. Strange.

Taking a seat on the couch opposite Potter, he quickly turned to the page containing the information on the Praemcruor curse. Seeing the page contained a description, he greedily grabbed a quill and some parchment, delighted that he, not Potter, had found the information.

'_The Praemcrour curse',_ it read_ 'is designed to make the veins of your enemy explode. If delivered with enough power, it can cause simultaneous rupturing of every vein in a body_…'

Draco wasn't aware of the book sliding off his lap and hitting the floor with a thud, or the expression of horror that had just consumed his features as he squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the memories. Behind his closed eyelids he could see his father flicking his wand, and that muggle exploding with blood raining everywhere. Potter said something, but he couldn't hear it beyond the echo of his father's laugh in his ears.

Suddenly, a hand touched his arm, causing him to jerk away and his eyes to fly open. Xanders was sitting on the coffee table between him and Potter, and was giving him a concerned look.

"Are you alright?"

Draco tried to nod, he honestly did, but found himself shaking his head and resisting the urge to vomit as the memories flooded his head.

"I've seen my father use that before, on Christmas Eve, the muggle just exploded and then…" Draco forced himself to shut up, cursing himself for his stupidity. He never should have given away where he'd been Christmas Eve and he'd come so close to mentioning what he'd done...

Staring at the floor, which seemed to be blurring in front of his eyes, he didn't see Xanders raise a hand to silence Harry. "What else happened on Christmas Eve, Draco?"

He shook his head violently and was shocked to find tears falling from his eyes, so he shut them, hoping no one else saw. "You'd send me to Azkaban."

"Because of something your father asked you to do?"

Draco remained silent as he sat there trembling slightly, and after a long moment of silence Xanders said;

"Parents are dangerous because we would all like to please them, we'd like nothing more then their undying affection, so we do what they ask even when we feel it's morally wrong."

"I'm not weak," Draco snapped.

"When did I say that you were?"

"Only sentimental idiots have weaknesses."

"It seems to me," Xanders said slowly. "That your upbringing is clashing with your personal morals. Caring because something horrible happened to someone else does not make you a sentimental idiot. Being unable to punish anyone for wrongs they have committed simply because they are a fellow living creature, is not being a sentimental idiot."

"You don't even know what I did! You'd be tossing me in Azkaban if you knew, instead of telling me how my father is wrong!" feeling slightly hysterical Draco jumped up and tried to run from the room, but Xanders grabbed him and forced him back into his seat.

"No, I don't know what you did, nor am I telling you that your father is wrong. I am simply telling you that there are times when your own sense of right and wrong will clash with what your parents tell you."

"I raped a girl, but since my father told me to and I feel bad about it, that makes it ok?"

"What?" Potter's strangled voice sounded from somewhere behind Xanders.

"I accompanied my father to the Christmas Eve celebration, I don't like muggles, they killed off wizards, they'd kill us off now if they had the chance. That's why muggle-borns are dangerous, they could reveal us to the muggle world and then we'd be in real trouble. But there's a difference between killing someone for revenge and torturing someone." Draco was slightly aware of his voice rising in pitch, almost to the point of hysteria, throughout this speech. Some part of his brain snidely pointed out that he sounded quite ridiculous.

"Ah," said Xanders. "I've been reading up on this conflict because I was born and raised up in Africa, where we had no muggle/pureblood hatred, speaking as a muggle-born who's never heard about this kind of thing before coming here. However, we did have a race conflict over skin colour that was quite similar. One thing that was learned from it, aside from accepting people for their differences, is that you cannot hate the ancestors of people who did something to your ancestors. All it causes is unnecessary death.

Now I can understand why wizards need to hide their presence from the muggle community, both because they might be killed by extremists and because of the demand for magical solutions to everyday problems. You see Draco, society has evolved, and there not all muggles would kill a wizard for being a wizard, however, some hatred still exists. Some families disown their children when they find out that their child is a witch or wizard, which is something that puzzled me for a long time, until I came to the conclusion that people that narrow-minded are to be pitied. Much the same way, I pity people like Lord Voldemort and his followers."

"Like my father," Draco said softly.

"Yes."

Draco was silent for a long minute. He was surprised at how relieving it was that someone _knew _what had happened and didn't hate him for it, but didn't think it was wonderful either.

"This doesn't mean I like muggles."

"I'm not asking you to _like_ anyone. I'm asking you to do what you feel is right, and if I'm reading your distress correctly, that's not death and destruction."

Running a hand over his face, Draco managed to stop trembling. The truth was he was so confused. Muggles were evil; he'd been told that from the day he was born. Yet he didn't want to see anyone dead either.

"Sleep on it," Xanders said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sleep on it and think on it, knowing that you will not be condemned by anyone for following your father. Family inspires its own kind of loyalty, even if it is illogical at times."

With a slow nod, Draco packed his things into his book bag and left feeling much more relaxed and alive then he'd felt since _that event_.

After the door had closed and Draco's footsteps had faded away, Xanders turned to Harry who was sitting there numb with shock, but had thankfully had the good sense to remain silent.

"He's going to need a friend. By asking him to do what he thinks is right and not join in on the Death Eaters, killing rampages, we're asking him to forsake everything he's ever known."

"Why me," Harry asked looking troubled.

"Partially because I know you're a good person who will have a positive affect of him. But also because something tells me you two might have a lot more in common then you think."


	5. Chapter 4: Bloodlines and Choices

**Chapter 4: Bloodlines and Choices**

Draco was beginning to think that he had serious problems. It had now been over three weeks since his breakdown in Xanders office and he was actually voluntarily spending time with Potter outside of their Defence Against the Dark Arts project. Surprisingly, Potter hadn't said a word about what had occurred that evening and instead had kept the topic of conversation mostly on school or occasionally quidditch.

It was a welcome change from the Slytherin common room where Theodore Nott was making daily comments about how now that he was 17 he would be receiving the Dark Mark over Easter break. As well, Nott was professing that it was their duty to wipe out muggles and mudbloods so that they did not taint the bloodlines.

Privately, Draco had been doing some research, and had rather uncomfortably discovered that not only were there very few pureblood families in the other houses, but there were quite a few half-bloods in Slytherin. Even if the Dark Lord did win, it looked like wizards would breed themselves out of existence. He tried not to think about it, it seemed safer that way. He also tried not to think about the fact that he was avoiding Snape like the plague just in case the man used his nasty legilimency and reported to his father that Draco was not as loyal as they all thought.

This had also resulted in Draco spending more time with Potter on their project. At least Potter was intelligent; enough to make Draco suspect that he might have actually earned his "O" in potions, despite Snape's instance otherwise.

When the morning of March 20th finally arrived, Draco forced himself to get out of bed and act like he was pleased that it was his birthday. Pretending to enjoy his housemates fawning over him at breakfast, he found himself resisting the urge to jump up from the table and sprint out of the Great Hall when his family's eagle owl swept in.

Slowly and trying to appear unconcerned Draco opened the letter. His father's pretentious scrawl contained no birthday greetings, instead it simply stated that as his coming of age present would be delivered to him over Easter, when he would accept their Lord's mark.

Carefully, Draco folded up the letter, stood up, and walked out of the hall hoping that he looked undisturbed, when in fact his insides were churning. _Don't let me walk into anyone_, he thought. _They might notice that I might be sick, and no one would understand why the prospect of joining the Death Eaters would make me feel that way_.

Then he realised that he hadn't wanted to be a Death Eater for months, and that was almost enough of a shock to cause him to stop walking.

"Malfoy, what's up with you?" Potter's voice sounded from the foot of the stairs.

"I…fancied a walk," he replied heading for the doors and thanking the powers-that-be that it was no longer raining, since it had been raining for the past five days.

Much to his annoyance, Potter followed him.

"Look, Malfoy, I can tell that something's bothering you. Why don't you just stop pretending and tell me."

"Alright, Potter," he snapped, "My father has requested that I come home because his birthday gift to me is going to be the Dark Mark."

"And you don't want to take it?"

"No, I bloody well do not, Potter, you incompetent idiot!"

"So don't."

"You think it's that easy?" Draco was dimly aware that he sounded near hysterical, but for once he didn't care. "Just because you've never had a family doesn't mean the rest of us want to be disowned."

Potter violently seized the front of his robes. "You think I don't care that I never got to know my parents, Malfoy? If it hadn't been for that bloody Dark Lord that your family worships…"

"Get your fucking hands off me, Potter!" Draco yelled, shoving the Gryffindor who unfortunately had too strong a grip on Draco's robes, and they both fell over into the mud.

"Bastard," Potter snarled, attempting to shove Draco's face into the mud.

"Actually, Potter, I can prove my legitimacy back at least 15 generations, which is why I'd prefer not to be disowned by my family."

"Then do as daddy says and take the Dark Mark."

"I don't fucking want to, Potter. Unfortunately unlike you, I don't have people who will act as a surrogate family to me after I loose mine!"

Potter released him, and Draco jerked away, determined to reclaim his dignity after having rolled around in the mud like a child.

"You can't possibly be jealous of me, Malfoy." Potter said following him into the school.

Filch was just coming down the main staircase, when he saw all the mud that they were tracking in, and started ranting and roaring.

"Get bent," Potter snapped at him as he followed Draco down into the dungeons.

"Well, if I refuse the mark I get disowned by my family, and I'm sure that everyone else will think I'm a lying bastard so they'd never bother to protect me when my father came after me bent on murder. That makes taking the mark almost look like a good option."

"Dumbledore'd protect you."

"Hate to break it to you but we aren't all Dumbledore's golden boy and he hates my father so why would he assume I'm any different?"

"You're acting like Dumbledore's got the same narrow-minded opinions about purebloods as you do about muggles," Potter snarled. "You need to give him more credit then that."

Before Draco could retort, Snape's voice broke in,

"What's all this noise?"

"None of you're business," Draco snapped as was surprised to hear Potter echo him. For some unknown reason Draco found that absolutely hilarious and in moments was doubled over in laughter.

"Mr. Malfoy, why in Merlin's name are you covered in mud?"

Gasping for air, Draco managed to straighten up and look his Head of House in the eye. "Potter and I were attempting to impersonate mud monsters, which was obviously unsuccessful as you recognised us immediately. Come on, Potter, we need more mud." Grabbing the other boy by the wrist he pulled him up the stairs and out of the dungeons.

"Malfoy, what on earth was that all about?"

"It was ironic, Potter, that you and I have been arguing so violently over weather or not I should join your side, only to take the same side against Snape who does happen to be on Voldemorts side."

"He's not actually."

Potter looked much too calm and knowing in Draco's opinion.

"Dumbledore told me that he's actually a spy for our side. And, while I'm not always sure I believe it given the overall nastiness of that man, I trust Dumbledore."

Draco blinked and stared at Potter, for the first time comprehending just what the Headmaster might tell him during those special sessions that Potter would disappear to. Personally he thought that was placing a lot of trust in Potter.

"And Dumbledore'd believe you too if you wanted to switch sides."

Suddenly Potter's optimism over the Headmaster's willingness to trust anyone seemed to have a basis.

"There they are, the scheming little trouble makers. It's just as I said, they're making a deliberate mess everywhere."

Draco turned to see Filch striding towards them with McGonagall, then looked around at the mud he and Potter had spread all over the entrance hall and grimaced.

"Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy, explain yourselves immediately."

"Umm…well…you see Professor," Potter stammered.

"Bondage," said Draco brightly. "Have you never had a bondage experience in the mud Professor?" Potter was doing an excellent impression of a fish out of water, so Draco continued, "Supporting inter-house co-operation and all that."

McGonagall simply looked down her nose at him much like she had when he was 11. "Well perhaps assisting Mr. Filch in cleaning the school the muggle way every evening this week will help you and Mister Potter in your quest for inter-house co-operation."

--------

Of course they tried using their wands anyway, since they had important things to do, like finish up their project for defence, but that only got their wands confiscated for the length of their detentions. This didn't make them any more productive though, quite the contrary since Draco decided that throwing wet and soapy sponges at Potter was much more entertaining then actually cleaning things. And Potter had to retaliate.

Draco ducked, only to have Xanders walk around the corner right at that second and get hit in the face with the sponge.

Wiping her face off, she looked at them with a bemused expression and said, "Well it's nice to see you boys getting along after all the stories I've heard from the other staff members."

In reflection, they were lucky not to get more detentions, but for some insane reason Xanders seemed to _like _them.

However, none of this stopped Draco from adding his name to the lengthy list of students going home over Easter break. And Potter was _furious_.

"Didn't you listen to me when I said Dumbledore could protect you? Are you thick? Or do you actually want the Dark Mark and the chance to grovel at Voldemorts feet?"

Draco ignored him – or tried to – and swept away. The problem was that once he was on the train surrounded by other Slytherins who thought the Mark was a great and wonderful thing, he began to feel ill. Potter's angry face coupled with Xander's voice saying "there are times when your own sense of right and wrong will clash with what your parents tell you", kept appearing at the forefront of his mind, no matter how hard he tried not to think about them. Just as he felt the train starting to pick up speed as it left the station he made his choice.

"I'm going to the washroom."

Without waiting for a reply, he strode out of the compartment and to the back of the train. Looking around fervently, he took a deep breath and jumped out into thin air. For a moment he simply seemed to hang there before his body impacted the ground with a loud thud that knocked the wind out of him. For a few tense moments he waited for the train to slow to a stop, but it disappeared around the bend and out of sight.

Smiling at his own brilliance, Draco stood up and began the long trek back to Hogwarts.

- - - - - - - - -

Arriving back during dinner absolutely famished Draco sauntered into the Great Hall barely aware of the fact that every head in the room had just turned to look at him. Granted that wasn't many people as there were only a couple dozen students here plus staff. If he'd looked up he might notice that for the first time in a great many years Dumbledore – like everyone else – was looking surprised. Exceptions were of course those, like Snape, who were looking at him with suspicion, and Xanders who had the slightest of smiles on her face.

Ignoring his houses table – much to everyone's increasing surprise – he walked straight over to the Gryffindors where Potter sat with the Weasley's, Granger and Longbottom.

Taking a seat beside Potter he looked at the other boy and announced, "I changed my mind and decided that I would not be going home over break."

Potter favoured him with a sunny smile and said with conviction, "Good."

Draco was surprised to find out that Potters opinion actually mattered, not only a little, but a lot.

- - - - - - -

"I don't understand what possessed him to come back." McGonagall was saying. "He's never cared for muggles or muggle-borns before, and he especially hasn't cared what Harry thought."

"That's changed recently," Dumbledore pointed out from where he stood swirling the memories in his pensive. "He's spent quite a deal of time with Harry."

"Enough to change his opinion on everything he hold dear?"

"I don't think you have any idea on what he hold's dear," Xanders cut in. "The boy has strong morals and the events over Christmas showed him how much his morals clash with what he'd have to do as a Death Eater."

"How do you know what happened?"

"I actually bothered to talk to him." Xanders said in a tone that implied it was great strain to participate in this conversation and her posture indicating that the quiditch pitch almost hidden by the darkness outside was much more fascinating. "And no I will not tell you what he said, he said it in confidence and I will not betray that."

"But why to you?"

"Because I do not hate his father and look down my nose at Slytherin house thinking it's a Death Eater training camp. I'm also not the example-setting head of house with the Dark Mark branded into his skin." She'd moved away from the window and was gesturing explosively at Snape who had remained unusually silent up to this point.

"How do you know that," he asked in a soft, deadly tone.

"I have EYES. Your Death Eater's children students worship the ground you walk on, Draco avoids you like the plague and Harry, Ron and Hermione have whispered arguments over the fact that you should be trusted because Dumbledore says so."

There was momentary silence in the room, which Dumbledore broke by saying, "I suppose I should have expected you to pick up on something given how highly Damien speaks of you. I also should have offered you…"

"I don't WANT to be a part of your little group running around to fight Voldemort. I came because Damien who is my mentor who I respect very much asked me to help out his _friend_ by filling to position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. All I'm going to do is teach the students to defend themselves. I'm not going to turn them into warriors, I'm not going to go running around the country doing your bidding. But if Draco needs a shoulder to lean on because his family disowned him and you're busy with Harry or whatever it is you do when you disappear, I'll be that person." She paused to draw a breath. "And if you're really serious about defeating this Dark Lord with love then perhaps you should quit abandoning the Slytherins to him because you can't be bothered to show them any. All of you."

With that she walked out and slammed the door causing Flawks to ruffle his feathers in indignation.

Dumbledore sighed and took a seat looking very tired. "Given what Damien told me about her I should have expected that too. She does look out for the minority, especially when she sees potential."

- - - - - - -

Draco was immediately surrounded by his housemates when he got back to his common room.

"What were you doing with _Potter_?"

"Are you not going to take the Dark Mark?"

"Do you actually _like _mudbloods now?"

"Don't call them that," Draco snapped before he realised what he was saying. "Most of them are much better wizards then lots of pure bloods. Look at Longbottom, or Crabbe, or Goyle, then look at Granger and Professor Xanders and tell me which you think are better wizards."

"Xanders in a mudblood?"

"Yes, and a much better wizard then you lot. As for Potter, he's actually not so bad. He's capable of both being intelligent and funny despite his self-righteousness. He's also not going to kill anyone for being what he's not. Have any of you seen what they do to muggles? I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, and there's a lot I'd wish on my worst enemy. Besides what does it solve trying to kill off all the muggles? They outnumber us, all they have to do is discover us and they can wipe us out with things more powerful then the killing curse. Oh and look around you and count the number of pure bloods. Without the muggles wizards will breed themselves out of existence in the next few generations. In fact not even all Slytherins are pure-blooded, there's plenty of half-bloods, including Professor Snape."

Draco took a moment to relish the gasps around him before announcing he was going to bed.


	6. Chapter 5: Walk On

**Chapter 5: Walk On**

Gryffindors weren't totally evil after all. Neither were the Weasleys, though Granger might have a book instead of a head. Draco had to admit that it hadn't been bad hanging around with the Gryffindors, they actually had some intelligent conversations and both Weasleys and Potter we decent quiditch players. Even Longbottom wasn't as bad as he expected, and had even grudgingly accepted that Draco was on their side. Though he supposed it was a good thing that they trusted him, after all he suspected he'd be in trouble with his house as soon as the others came back.

He'd spent every evening trying to talk other Slytherins into coming over onto his side so that he wasn't the only one facing off against Nott. With his in-depth descriptions of the curses used to torture muggles last night he thought he'd managed to convince some of them.

As the students filed back into the Great Hall after Easter break Draco gave Nott a cool look when the other boy sat down across from him and looked at him through narrowed eyed. "Later," Draco said firmly forestalling any rants until they were back in the common room.

"Are you an idiot, Malfoy?" Nott snarled once they were back in the common room.

"No, I believe I have a level of intelligence far superior to yours."

The other Slytherins were falling back around the edges of the common room, not wanting to get involved, yet not willing to leave. Power struggles were always interesting.

"Then why didn't you get the Mark like the rest of us?"

It suddenly occurred to Draco that he was at a distinct disadvantage because he didn't know who had taken the mark and would back up Nott, but ploughed on anyway. "Simple, Nott. I started looking around analytically at wizarding society and realised what would happen if we wiped out all those with muggle blood in them." He'd spent many long nights composing this speech and now he was wondering if it would be enough. "If you go through all the other houses there are actually, on average, only three pureblooded students in each year. There is also, on average, one half-blood student in each year in Slytherin."

"You lie," Nott snarled. "Slytherin is the house of pure-blood and if there are any half-bloods here I'll kill them in the name of the Dark Lord."

"You might want to start with the Dark Lord himself then. He's a half-blood you know, had a common muggle for a father."

"Dumbledore and Potter have twisted your mind," Nott growled grabbing the collar of Draco's shirt.

Prying Nott's fingers off Draco continued on, "Then you might want to move on to Snape, he also had a muggle for a father. And if you don't believe me I'd look it up in the Daily Prophet."

Nott looked murderous. "You'll go the same way as all the other filthly blood-traitors, Malfoy. The Dark Lord's planning something big and there's a lot of us backing him up."

As if on cue most of the older Slytherins stepped out from the wall and revealed their left forearm with the Dark Mark burnt black into it.

Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and six of the seven seventh years, leaving only Blaise and a seventh year Draco knew was a half-blood out of all the possible 17 year olds. Blustrode wouldn't be 17 until June so Draco assumed she'd get the mark over the summer given the fact that she'd stepped forward to support Nott even without the mark. Blaise was still leaning back against the wall, his family had always been impartial and Draco was glad to see he'd been smart enough to follow that trend.

No one was stepping forward to back up Draco, and he was a fool who had been spending too much time with Gryffindors to expect it.

"Well I'm sorry you all chose the loosing side then," he said coolly and swept off to his room. As he locked and warded the door behind him he reflected on how lucky he was to be a prefect with his own private room. If he'd been in the dorm with everyone else Nott would probably knife him in his sleep or something.

- - - - - -

The following week was probably the worst one of Draco's life. Besides Potter and his gang of devoted followers, err, close friends everyone else in the school thought that Draco must certainly be faking his change in heart. The whispers he kept hearing contained the words "Lucius Malfoy's son" and "dark wizard" or "Death Eater" as the reasons he certainly couldn't have come over to the other side. And for the first time in his life Draco found himself wishing to be anyone else but Lucius' son, hell at this point he'd happily be a Weasley.

He was also doing his best to spread his opinions through the younger students and was meeting with little success. Though he had to admit if a student had come up to him at that age sounding like an echo of Dumbledore he'd have ignored them too.

The hardest part of it all was the fact that the Professor's weren't doing a thing about the sneered comments from other students or occasional hex that came his way from one of his housemates. In fact it seemed like they were treating him to equally suspicious looks, except Snape who was making Notts glares look like child's play.

Then into the second week Draco returned to the common room only to find them burning his stuff in the fire and remembered that he'd forgotten to ward his room that morning because he'd been in a rush.

"There he is!" a second year exclaimed and the entire room turned to the doorway.

Knowing he couldn't fight all of them Draco ran, or tried to. A stinging hex hit him in the back causing him to pitch forward onto the dungeon floor making him scrape his chin and knees on the stone. Too afraid for his life to be deterred for long, Draco scrambled to his feet and raced for the exit to the dungeon willing himself to outrun the pounding footsteps behind him.

There was a pair of seventh-year Gryffindors walking through the entrance hall as he exploded out of the dungeons. It was a sign of how panicked he was that he was glad to see them.

"Help me," he gasped.

They both gave him incredulous looks then the boy laughed and shoved him backwards into a wall. "You don't fool me, your just Lucius Malfoy's son."

Seeing Nott and the others coming up the stairs Draco attempted to flee in the opposite direction while dodging curses and hexes. He got hit by a leg-locker curse just as he darted around a corner and on sheer force of will was able to drag himself using his arms behind a large statue.

"What's going on?" A voice asked as Nott and the others thundered past assuming the curse had missed and he'd disappeared further down the corridor.

"The Slytherin's are trying to convince us that Draco Malfoy's on our side by attacking him. And they call themselves cunning, if they actually wanted it to be believable they wouldn't have chosen Lucius Malfoy's son, after all the man is practically You-Know-Who's right hand man."

Draco shivered feeling the burning residue from the stinging hex on his back knowing that no one was going to help him and the Slytherins would kill him if they found him.

"I'm not just Lucius Malfoy's son, I'm better then that," he told himself over and over trying to make himself believe it.

- - - - - -

It was Mrs. Norris who found Draco hours later and alerted Filch who alerted the rest of the staff. By this point he was covered in a thin layer of sweat, had his eyes squeezed tightly shut and was still whispering his mantra over and over to himself at random intervals.

"Physically there's nothing wrong with him," Madam Pomfrey was saying to Dumbledore when Xanders walked into the hospital wing. "I've removed the hexes which removed the pain and caused the sweating to stop but he's still not responding to anyone. All I can think of is that he's in mental shock after whatever happened, but I don't know why he'd choose that particular phrase to keep repeating."

"I certainly have no clue," said Snape, who was looking disdainful.

"You honestly have no idea," said Xanders incredulously. "Is the boy not in your house? Is he not your responsibility? For over a week he's been the object of scorn from his peers and attacked by members of his own house and you say you have no idea what's happened? He's a boy, not something you can just throw away because he didn't act like you expected him to!"

The force of her lecture was somewhat lessened by the fact that she didn't even come up to Snape's shoulder.

"If you don't want responsibility for him, or honestly don't care about him, then I'll take him because I think he's worth it." With that she spun away from the other Professors and walked over to Draco's bed. Taking a seat on the edge of it she pulled Draco closer to her so that his head was resting on her lap and began to softly stroke his hair back from his face.

To everyone's great surprise he seemed to relax under her gentle touch, and she started singing softly to him;

"And if the darkness is to keep us apart  
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off  
And if your glass heart should crack  
And for a second you turn back  
Oh no, be strong

Walk on, walk on  
What you got they can't steal it  
No they can't even feel it  
Walk on, walk on...  
Stay safe tonight

You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been  
A place that has to be believed to be seen  
You could have flown away  
A singing bird in an open cage  
Who will only fly, only fly for freedom

Walk on, walk on  
What you've got they can't deny it  
Can't sell it, can't buy it  
Walk on, walk on  
Stay safe tonight

And I know it aches  
And your heart it breaks  
And you can only take so much  
Walk on, walk on

Home… hard to know what it is if you've never had one  
Home… I can't say where it is but I know I'm going home  
That's where the hurt is

I know it aches  
How your heart it breaks  
And you can only take so much  
Walk on, walk on

Leave it behind  
You've got to leave it behind

Just leave it behind

You've got to leave it behind."

"I didn't know you could sing Professor," Draco said softly when she was done.

"It's one of my more hidden talents," she replied still stroking his hair. "Think you can go to sleep now?"

There was a long pause before he said very softly and meekly in a tone of voice that no one ever would have associated with Draco Malfoy in a million years; "Can you sing that for me again first?"

_If it was up to me I'd never let anyone close enough to him to hurt him again_, Xanders thought. Out loud she simply said, "Of course."

- - - - - - -

**A/N: **the lyrics belong to U2


	7. Chap 6:More than the Wars of Our Fathers

**A/N:** Well, given the release of Deathly Hallows, this story has become more AU then it was previously, especially given that my own take on the Horcruxes (which will appear a couple chapters after this one) is radically different then J.K.R.'s. I shall continue on anyway.

**Chapter 6: More then the Wars of our Fathers**

"Why Draco in particular?" Dumbledore asked much later. "There are over 200 students in this school and it seems from the beginning you had him singled out."

Xanders was leaning back against the window frame in his office and had her forehead resting on the glass, not that anything could be seen outside since even the starlight was hidden tonight. "He's a bright boy, very talented, and a born leader. Yet everyone just wrote him off because he's a Slytherin and no one cares about the Slytherins. Oh sure Severus likes his house, but he wont get involved if it makes it look like he's on your side so anyone like Draco who has the potential to be something else gets abandoned. I'm simply playing the part of the voice for those who have none."

"I know that we don't give the Slytherins the attention we should. For too many years we have considered them all to be dark wizards and now with the war on Voldemort I don't know how to reverse that." The weariness in his voice reminded Xanders not only of the lateness of the hour but how old the Headmaster was. "However I would like to know how you were able to pick him out of all the others. After all, there are many other bright young people in this school."

Xanders was quiet for a long moment focusing on the coolness of the windowpane. "Would you accept an I don't know? I just saw something in him, that's all. Try looking at Draco like he's not just his fathers son sometime and you might be surprised at what you see. Speaking of which, what are you going to do about him? He can't go back to Slytherin they'll kill him, they've already destroyed all of his possession according to Severus."

"I'll admit that I'm at a loss for what to do with him. I've sent a letter to Madam Malkin asking her to replace all the robes that he ordered over the summer, and another letter to Flourish and Blots to replace his books, fortunately he still has his wand. But it is much easier to replace material possessions then anything else."

"What about re-sorting him?"

"What?"

"You know, put the sorting hat on his head again and get it to put him in another house." Xanders raised her head off the window to look at him in the dim light that flickered from a lone candle. "If he tells it not to put him there he wont get put back in there, right?"

"It's never been done before. It might not even work."

"So be revolutionary. And don't do it in front of the whole school if you don't think it'll work, just have the heads of house present so they can witness whatever happens."

"If this is done early tomorrow morning so that it can be announced at breakfast can you also be there?"

Deciding that less than four hours of sleep would be enough Xanders said, "Sure, why?"

"I would like someone here who Mister Malfoy trusts. I'd also like you to bring him up here at seven thirty tomorrow morning."

- - - - - -

"Draco, Draco wake up."

Draco could feel someone shaking his shoulder lightly and tried to figure out who it was. Any of his housemates would have simply yelled at him, his mother would have sent a house elf, and his father would have hexed him. Blinking open his eyes Xanders face swam into focus and the events of last night came racing back. Groaning he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow certain that he'd made an absolute fool of himself.

"Draco," she said sounding mildly exasperated. "You need to get up. The Headmaster wants to see you."

"About what?"

"Re-sorting you."

"What?" Draco sat up and stared at her forgetting all about being embarrassed.

"It's been decided that you're no longer safe in Slytherin so they're going to put the sorting hat back on your head and have it place you elsewhere. The trick is that you have to ask it to go anywhere but Slytherin."

"How will that change anything?"

"Apparently it worked for Harry when the hat wanted to put him in Slytherin." She held up a hand to forestall questions. "Ask Dumbledore not me, I don't know any more then that. Now get dressed, we need to be there in five minutes."

Draco blinked at the clothing lain out at the end of the bed. "These are new."

"Thank Dumbledore, not me. Now hurry up."

Ten minutes later Draco found himself ascending a revolving staircase to Dumbledore's office trying to get over the fact that the password was a type of _candy_. Entering the Headmaster office he blinked and stopped dead in his tracks. He'd thought the library had a lot of books. Who had the time – or the inclination – to read all of these? Well, besides Granger.

Early morning sunlight was bouncing off of various spinning and humming silver instruments that Draco couldn't have guessed the purpose for in his wildest dreams. The former headmasters and headmistresses were either still snoring or just yawning into wakefulness with a few studying Draco intently.

"Do come in Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore's voice was laden with amusement.

Then he registered the Headmaster sitting behind a large desk strewn with papers and trinkets, but only briefly as his eye focused on a very tired and irritated looking bird. Not just any bird either; it was a Phoenix. They were nearly extinct, very valuable, never came near humans if they could help it, but if they did form a bond with a human it was said to be so powerful that not even death could override it.

"Mister Malfoy, stop gawking and come in so we can get this over with," Snape snapped and Draco finally registered the presence of all four heads of house.

Professor Sprout smiled kindly at him. "A little overwhelming on first sight isn't it."

Draco nodded as his insides squirmed, and he noted that this was the second time in less than 24 hours that he had greatly embarrassed himself.

Dumbledore stood up and reached for the battered old sorting hat. As he did his sleeve fell back from his right hand and Draco got his first look at the burnt hand since Dumbledore's welcoming speech in September. It looked worse then it had then, which was impossible, it just looked worse because he was closer. Though what kind of injury lasted this long Draco couldn't begin to guess.

"Now if you'll take a seat, Mister Malfoy," said Dumbledore waving him to a chair.

Draco sat, still puzzling over the hand as the sorting hat was placed on his head.

"Ahh, again Draco Malfoy? You were such an easy choice last time, Slytherin qualities and wanting nothing more then to go there."

_I don't WANT Slytherin this time,_ he thought furiously forgetting all about the Headmaster's strange injury. _They'll kill me if I go back there_.

"Humm, well then, I'll put you in GRYFFINDOR."

Draco almost fell off the chair in shock. McGonagall wasn't much better, looking like she was in dire need of a chair to sit in lest she fall down, and Snape looked _livid_.

"Well that settles that," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "I'll announce it at breakfast and get the house elves to move Draco's belongings into Gryffindors sixth year dormitory."

- - - - - - -

Draco was not a very popular person around the school after Dumbledore announced his re-sorting. Surprisingly – and humiliatingly – it was Potter who protected him; "If Dumbledore thinks he's on our side, then he's on our side. There's no fooling Dumbledore". It was surprising just how many people accepted this simple statement from Potter.

After the initial few days had gone by and people had grudgingly started to accept Draco being in Gryffindor as being semi-normal, Draco was able to relax enough to turn his gaze back to Slytherin house. The more he watched the more he worried, Nott was treating anyone who said anything against him with blatant cruelty and Snape wasn't putting a stop to it. In fact, there was no proof that Snape was even aware of it.

Draco started using his free periods to talk with younger Slytherins, since he wasn't truly welcome in the Gryffindor common room anyway, and after a while he started to feel as if he was making some headway. The only problem was he didn't know how he'd protect those who he did convert from Nott.

"If other Slytherins didn't want the Mark would they be allowed to be re-sorted too? Even if they aren't put in danger first?" Draco asked Xanders after one Defence Against the Dark Arts class. "Well they're already in danger just from Nott, but I mean without being attacked first."

"You'd have to ask the Headmaster, not me. But I don't see why not since it's already been proven that there's danger there."

_No problem,_ Draco thought bitterly as he left. _I'll just waltz right up to Dumbledore this evening, not like it's hard_.

"Umm..Malfoy?"

He turned around to see a third year Slytherin standing at his elbow.

"Yes?"

"There's a few of us who agree with you, but Nott…he's mad, the way he's going on most people are terrified of him. Especially the half-bloods. Well, at least the one's who I think are half-bloods."

_That settles it then_, Draco thought grimly, _I have to see Dumbledore, there's no way around it_. Out loud he said, "Gather together everyone who doesn't agree with Nott and tell them that I'll talk to Dumbledore and get them out. But do it carefully so that no one suspects anything. Then find me tomorrow and I'll give you details."

The kid nodded. "Thank you, Malfoy, sir."

As he scampered off Draco stood there in shock wondering when he'd become a saviour just like Potter.

- - - - - - -

That evening he was presented with an even bigger problem; Dumbledore wasn't there.

"So where is he then?" Draco asked pacing back and fourth feeling agitated.

"Out of the school Malfoy, on Order business," Potter replied. "Why do you need to see him anyway?"

"Because there's other Slytherins that need out before Nott can kill them. When's he going to be back?"

"Donno, could be a few days or a few weeks."

Draco found himself resisting the urge to yell, 'well I need him back now!' as Granger said;

"Honestly if Nott's that bad why don't you just get him expelled?"

"Because it wouldn't _solve anything_ Granger. He's simply the leader, as soon as he's gone someone else will become the leader and nothing will have _changed_."

"Well if you remove all the Slytherins who are on our side then we'll be able to toss the entire house in Azkaban," said Ron.

Draco let out an inhuman snarl and lunged for him but Potter got in the way before he could commit murder.

"We are not all evil, Weasley. We happen to have loyalty to our families who happen to support the Dark Lord, so we've been brought up supporting him just like you've been brought up in a hovel with second hand junk and sharing a room with your entire family. It takes a lot to go against your family."

Weasley jumped to his feet his face as red as his hair.

"Ron sit down!" Potter exclaimed. "And Draco shut up! We understand you're stressed because you can't help them but that doesn't give you the right to insult everyone."

"He started it," Draco growled then realised the entire Gryffindor common room was staring and detangled himself from Potter. "And I'm going for a walk!"

With the he stalked out of the common room kicking aside everything in his path before slamming the portrait hole shut behind him.

He moved quickly through the halls with no destination in mind but stopped dead when he saw a body being levitated in the direction of the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick. It didn't take him any time at all to recognise the Slytherin boy from earlier that day and put the pieces together. And Snape had done nothing!

Draco didn't realise that he was sprinting in the direction of the dungeons until he reached the entrance hall and saw Snape striding across it to the dungeons entrance. Catching up to Snape he grabbed him and attempted to push him into the nearest wall.

"Don't you care at all? You're supposed to be on our side and you're letting Death Eaters run Slytherin. You're not even TRYING TO STOP IT AND SHOW THEM ANOTHER WAY!"

"Mister Malfoy, what in the name of Merlin…"

"THERE WAS ANOTHER KID ATTACKED TONIGHT, BUT UNLIKE ME HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO FIGHT THEM OFF! FLITWICK HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL WING, WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?"

It didn't occur to him until much later that you couldn't scream obscenities at a teacher, nor could you attack them. He was too caught up in the furry that caused the blood to pound through his veins and rush in his ears. A fury fuelled by hurt at a perceived betrayal from the only other man aside from his father that he'd ever respected.

"Calm your self, Mister Malfoy. You're creating a scene." Indeed those students who had been in the vicinity and heard the commotion had come to see what was going on. This included Potter who appeared to have come after Draco after he'd stormed out of the common room.

"I DON'T CARE, YOU BASTARD!"

Snape grabbed him by the front of his shirt in an attempt to shut him up and Draco punched him in the jaw. Releasing him from the shock of the blow Snape opened himself up to a whirlwind of blows from Draco who's fury ran so deep that he could not be bothered with the impersonal nature of a wand.

What Draco hadn't counted on was that the older man was not only bigger then him but also much stronger, and in moments Draco found himself face first on the stone floor. His ribs burned and he suspected that they might be broken, which was not being helped by the fact that Snape had one knee on the centre of his back to pin him to the ground. There was a sharp edge on the stone that his cheek was being pressed into by the force of Snapes hand on his head, and Draco started becoming very aware of the fact that he was struggling to breath and beginning to see spots.

"Let him go, Severus."

Dumbledores voice boomed across the entrance hall from where he stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the dark sky with his robes billowing around him in the wind.

Slowly Snape released the pressure he was placing on Draco and stood up. Draco took a few deep, gasping breaths before getting to his feet and facing Snape.

"They're mine, and I wont let you destroy them."

Then a hand was placed softly on his shoulder. "Come with me, Draco," Dumbledore said gently, pulling him away slowly.

Moments later Draco found himself sitting in the Headmasters office with a cup of hot chocolate in front of him.

"Now, tell me what happened, from the beginning."

So for the next hour Draco talked. Not only about the attack on the third year who had been trying to learn who wanted out, but about how expelling Nott wouldn't help, how Slytherin had always been the house that supported dark magic and dark lords because the kids of powerful families were brought up with it, about how hard it was to turn away from all that and be something else when it meant that accepting everything you'd ever known to be wrong, and about how Snape just didn't care what happened and was going to leave them to their fate.

When he was done he took a deep breath, looked Dumbledore straight in the eye and asked, "You aren't going to leave them there are you sir? The ones who want to leave? Could they be re-sorted like I was?"

"This will have to be discussed with the staff, Mister Malfoy. I can not make such a drastic decision without hearing input from others first."

- - - - - - -

Xanders was personally sick of late night meetings in Dumbledores office where people circled 'round and 'round an issue taking hours to come to a conclusion.

"Let me sum up what's been said in the last hour so we can come to a decision and I can go sleep," she cut in. Actually she'd cut McGonagall off in mid-sentence, but she didn't really care. "Pros of sorting students out of Slytherin who want to be sorted out: they will no longer be in danger from their housemates, they will probably also not join Voldemort. Cons of sorting students out of Slytherin: the house numbers will be depleted, it will be time consuming. Other alternatives: find those with dark mark and expel them, problem with that is that it's not just those who've taken the mark who support Voldemort so the problem would not be solved. Now let us come to an agreement."

There was momentary silence among the four heads of house before Flitwick broke it by saying:

"I have another suggestion."

Xanders closed her eyes and leaned her head back so it made a loud clunk on the window frame.

"Actually, I think this one might solve a lot of our problems. Re-sorting students does take a lot of time, and would be inconvenient for everyone. However, I am willing to accept any Slytherin student as a member of my house. I say this because the Slytherin opinion tends to be that Gryffindors are idiots, Hufflepuffs are old duffers and Ravenclaws are much to studious, however, if forced to pick another house to work with they will work with Ravenclaw because they see it as the best one of the three. So if they want to leave Slytherin and come to Ravenclaw I will accept them without a sorting ceremony."

"And I will do the same for any who wish to come to Hufflepuff," said Professor Sprout.

"I will take any who want to be Gryffindors." McGonagall paused then added, "Though I doubt that will be many, since they don't seem to assimilate well. Draco Malfoy has been nothing but a disruption since his arrival."

"Ah yes, and that could not possibly be the fault of you're precious Gryffindors," Snape sneered.

"Would you both shut up," Xanders snapped pushing away from the wall. "It's this mindless hatred of one another that creates all these problems in the first place. Gryffindor and Slytherin are probably the two most similar houses in the entire school except for one little fact; Slytherins are out for themselves first while Gryffindors look out for others. Yet somehow the fact that Slytherins are cunning and relatively selfish got turned into this terrible thing just because the house spawned some muggle-hating wizards when Gryffindors don't care about pure blood.

And if you're going to state that all dark wizards come from Slytherin then I'm going to throw a history book at you! Grindelwald was trying to wipe out purebloods because they wouldn't recognise that he as a half-blood was equal to purebloods. And guess what, he wasn't a Slytherin, he was a Gryffindor! The whole muggle hating thing started because muggles started killing wizards so purebloods had a reason to be suspicious of them. But to carry that kind of grudge for hundreds and hundreds of years across all these generations is just bloody ridiculous, unless you like being a bigot. And that goes for both sides. There is not an evil house, nor is one house so much better then others. If you as adults, and teachers, can't realise that then the students never will, and it will just be an endless cycle of hatred."

Finishing her rant Xanders folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the wall.

"And you're absolutely correct," said Dumbledore softly. "That's why I wanted your presence, you grew up apart from all this and are most objective."

Xanders would have retorted that if she was so correct then why wasn't he doing anything about it if it wasn't for the weariness in his tone. When she looked over at him she saw that he was leaning back against his desk and rubbing his injured right hand with his left. He looked not only completely exhausted, but also like he might be in pain.

There was a look of concern or worry that flickered quickly across Snapes face, but his usual sneer was in place so fast she thought she was the only one that had noticed it. _He knows something_, she thought.

"Now," said Dumbledore, "If there are no better suggestions then I think we should all go to bed before the sun rises."

As they all filed out McGongall went up to him and asked softly, "Are you alright, Albus?"

Xanders paused in the doorway to hear the answer.

"I'm simply tired, Minerva. It's nothing to concern yourself with."

Knowing that wasn't the truth but deciding to give them their privacy, Xanders descended the revolving staircase and made her way to her office. That hand was like an inch on the back of her brain every time she saw it. It was like she'd heard or read about something like that before but simply could not recall it. But she was certain of one thing; it meant nothing good


	8. Chapter 7: Horcruxes and Horrors

**Chapter 7: Horcruxes and Horrors**

Over the next week everyone was surprised at the number of Slytherins who sorted themselves into other houses. Not that a dozen was a huge number, but it was more then anyone – including Draco – had expected. Potter, Granger and Weasley had also taken to talking as a group in low voices and immediately silencing whenever Draco approached.

"What's going on?" Draco finally demanded one night.

"None of your business, Malfoy," Weasley snapped.

"No," said Potter. "I trust him. Malfoy sit down and I'll explain as long as you promise to remain quiet."

"Harry," Granger said reproachfully. "That's a bad idea."

"Dumbledore trusts him," Potter replied as Draco sat down. "Understand that after I tell you this you'll be one of five people on our side who know, and it's not to be repeated."

Draco's eyes widened in surprise as he said, "Of course, Potter. I do know how to keep secrets."

"Right. Well here's the thing, you know all those lessons with Dumbledore that I've been going to, in them he's been showing me Voldmorts past using as many different memories that he could find. He also showed me proof that Voldemorts using Horcruxes."

"Horcruxes, as in plural? I've only ever heard it used for one piece of the soul, they're supposed to be beastly hard to make."

"Seven to be precise. Well six and the piece of his soul left in him. And all I know about making them is that you have to murder someone, which will split your soul, then store that other piece of your soul in some object."

"Sounds hard enough to me." Draco murmured. "Seven. I supposed that's because it's a symbolic magical number."

"Yes. And we have to find and destroy all of them before we can kill him."

"What's this 'we' bit?"

"Me and Dumbledore."

"Alright, just checking that I hadn't just recruited myself for this crazy thing. How are you going to find seven? They could be anything, and anywhere."

"Well we think we know _what _they are, we just don't know where. Two have already been destroyed, one was the diary used to open the Chamber of Secrets in second year and the other was a ring Dumbledore destroyed over the summer."

"When he burned his hand." Potter nodded and Draco rubbed his forehead in agitation. "They've got to have some strong spells protecting them, then."

"I know." Potter said grimly. "The others are a locket of Slytherins with his symbol engraved on it, a cup belonging to Hufflepuff, his pet snake Nagini and something of either Ravenclaws or Gryffindors. Now Dumbledore's in possession of Gryffindors sword so it can't be that and is probably something of Ravenclaws, but we can't rule out another Gryffindor object that we don't know about."

"This is insane, Potter. You do know that right?"

"Malfoy, if you'd been hanging around with me all along you'd find this normal."

- - - - - - -

Despite his best efforts Draco found his mind wandering back to the Horcruxes as he tried to study for exams. It seemed like an impossible task to have to destroy them all, yet he was intrigued by what destroying them would involve.

One night after being called to a meeting with Dumbledore Potter came dashing back into the tower and over to them.

"Dumbledore thinks he's found another one and I get to go with him. I'm just going to get my cloak."

With that Potter dashed up the stairs and Draco followed him entering the dormitory just in time to see Potter stuffing what looked like an invisibility cloak into his pocket. _So that's why he doesn't get caught, damn lucky Gryffindor_.

"Potter, you don't suppose I could come with you?"

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with this?"

"Well, I'm curious."

"I'll ask about next time, but not now, I've got to go right away."

Potter darted past him and down the stairs, his eyes unusually bright. Draco wondered how crazy you had to be to look forward to dangerous and deadly situations.

"Don't wait up," Potter was saying as Draco reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Harry," Granger called. "This is dangerous, aren't you worried?"

"I don't have anything to worry about, I'm with Dumbledore."

- - - - - - -

Weasley and Granger did attempt to stay up until Harry arrived back but ended up giving up after three am. Draco dozed lightly from about one thirty on, jerking awake at every noise to look for Potter.

Finally, just after five am Potter stumbled into the room and crashed in a heap on his bed. Draco wasn't positive, but to him it looked like something had happened, or rather something had gone wrong.

Waking up to his alarm at eight Draco stumbled out of bed and into the shower. When he came out Potter was still fast asleep on his bed in his clothes from yesterday with his glasses still on.

"Potter," Draco said shaking him. "Potter wake up."

Weasley and Granger came in moments later just as Potter was stirring awake.

"He's still not up?" Granger exclaimed. "Harry, you're going to miss _class_ you've already missed breakfast."

"Then I'll miss class," Potter mumbled.

"No can do, mate," said Weasley. "You have Snape first period."

Potter muttered something into his pillow that sounded suspiciously like, "Snape can go fuck himself"

"Harry! Get up!" said Granger as she grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him up.

Personally Draco thought they were being rather insensitive for best friends since something had obviously gone wrong on the Horcrux hunt last night.

Potter did make it down to the dungeon in time for class, still wearing yesterdays robes and looking half asleep.

Snape was shockingly a few minutes late for the start of class and entered the room with such force that you would have thought the door had personally offended him. In Draco's opinion he didn't look like he'd had any sleep either, and since the man was known as an insomniac that was saying something.

"There will be complete silence while you brew the revitalizing drought. I expect perfect potions at the end of this class. And Potter, being the Headmasters favourite student will not excuse you from falling asleep in my class."

- - - - - - -

Dumbledore's absence from the head table at lunch was what made Draco clue into the fact that something was very wrong. Snape's absence was also curious, unless he was brewing potions for the Headmaster. That might explain the sudden switch to revitalizing droughts and his instance on perfect potions. But how much could he possibly need? And if that quantity was indeed needed what had happened?

Part way through supper Snape reappeared late and took his usual seat at the head table. There was a momentary pause then Potter said, "I'll see you guys in the common room later."

Cursing mentally, Draco attempted to cram the other half of his Shepard's pie into his mouth and followed Potter out of the Great Hall and up to Dumbledore's office.

"Why are you following me, Malfoy?"

"Because I'd like to know what's going on. Weasley and Granger might be oblivious but I can tell that something's wrong. I'm a Slytherin, well part Slytherin, there's no point in trying to deceive me."

A long moment a silence followed before Potter said, "There was a potion last night that had to be drank in order to get the Horcrux and it weakened Dumbledore drastically."

By this point they'd reached the stone gargoyle and Potter looked around carefully before whispering, "Tom Riddle."

Draco stared as the gargoyle leapt aside. "Why did the password change?"

"Dumbledore changed it so that only a couple people could get in. Don't go spreading it around."

The office was dark, lit only by the fading light let in through the window. Potter paused and looked around before slowly walking across the office and up the staircase at the back. Draco followed feeling very much like he was intruding on someone's privacy, but he didn't want to remain in the eerily empty office either.

At the top of the stairs was a closed oak door. Potter took a deep breath then opened the door slowly and quietly. There was no light in the room and it took Draco a moment to realise that he was looking at a bedroom. The Dumbledore lay on the bed, eyes closed, breathing shallow, his skin waxy and almost grey in colour. The phoenix sat on the headboard and looked up sharply as they came in.

Potter took a few steps into the room before stopping while Draco remained frozen in the doorway not quite able to believe what he was seeing. He hadn't always liked the Headmaster, but to see him like this was unnerving.

"And what are you two doing?"

Draco spun around to see Snape looming behind him.

"I came to see how he was," Potter said glaring fiercely at Snape.

"The Headmaster will be fine without your presence, Potter."

"Look," Potter snapped. "Just because you don't care doesn't mean I don't."

Any retort Snape might have made was cut off by Dumbledore saying a weak voice, "Harry?"

"Right here, sir," said Potter who was at Dumbledores bedside faster then Draco could blink.

"Don't worry about me, Harry, worse things have happened. Your main focus right now should be your exams."

Potter shook his head violently.

"Listen to me, Harry," said Dumbledore taking Potter's hand in his good left one. "You must learn to prioritise, see things in steps; what must come first, what is most important, and what is your final goal. Do not worry about things in the far future and things that you can not change."

Potter nodded jerkily.

"Now cast what has happened from your mind, it's not worth dwelling on. Make me proud by doing well on your exams."

"I will, sir."

"I know you will, Harry. You always do."

- - - - - - -

Potter threw himself into his studying with such ferocity that Draco suspected if he'd worked like this all year Granger would not be the top student. As it was Draco was worried about his status as the student with the second highest marks.

By the time they were over Draco knew that Potter had walked away with the top mark – if not a perfect one – in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Draco consoled himself with the fact that he suspected he had done much better then Granger on the practical.

OWL and NEWT exams were over a few days later provoking a party in the Gryffindor common room that lasted until McGonagall came in, in her nightdress, and ended it.

"I'm going to have nightmares for weeks," Draco complained to Potter who had participated in the celebrations because Dumbledore had finally made an appearance in the Great Hall for meals today – at least that's what Draco suspected. "Snape never, ever appeared in his nightclothes to tell us to be quiet – though I might have been permanently blinded and had to take up residence in St. Mungos long term care facility if he had."

"Well if you were never told off for disobeying curfew then that's probably why you never lost points for victory parties after quiditch games."

"It hardly mattered as you get the cup every year."

"Well, we've deserved it for other reasons."

"I donno, I've always been of the opinion that you get the cup every year because McGonagall pays Dumbledore sexual favours."

Potter made a choking noise. "Thanks Malfoy, now I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life."

They were just about to head up to the dormitory when a green light flickered through the window. Looking out Draco's blood ran cold when he saw the Dark Mark over Hogsmeade.

Then Potter was running across the room and out the portrait hole.

"Are you crazy?" Draco yelled after him.

"I'm not going to stand here and let them get killed," Potter yelled back.

Cursing because Granger and Wealsey were safely tucked in bed in the respective dormitories, Draco took off after him.

_I'm a Slytherin, I don't do heroic charges into battle_, Draco thought as he raced through the dark hallways after Potter. They were just coming down one of the main staircases to the entrance hall when Draco saw something that made his blood run cold.

Dumbledore, who had been obviously hurrying for the entrance, was being blocked by Theodore Nott. His wand lay a few feet away and Nott was laughing.

"I did it! The plan worked! You were so worried about the few Death Eaters in Hogsmeade that you didn't look in your own school."

Potter was drawing his wand, but it was too late.

"Avada Kedavra."

The green light flashed across the entrance hall, momentarily blinding Draco with its brightness, and when the light faded Dumbledore's body lay sprawled out on the floor.

Potter let out an inhuman howl of rage and pain, and Nott took off.

"Stupefy," screamed Potter the spell bouncing off the door.

They raced outside, following Nott along the pathway to Hogsmeade and the apparition barrier.

"Stupefy," Potter tried then, "Impedimenta."

Both spells just seemed to miss Nott who was drawing closer and closer to the apparition point.

"Praem…" Potter started and Draco tackled him.

"Don't you dare use dark magic, Potter! And don't you dare use that curse! I don't care if he deserves it, it doesn't make you any better then them!"

"I don't care," Potter screamed trying to throw Draco off. "I've never had a family my whole life. My parents were killed before I was old enough to remember them, my godfather was killed just as I was getting to know him and now Dumbledore. He was all I had and now he's gone!"

Draco found himself loosening his grip on Harry and falling back away from the other boy so they were both sitting in the dirt gasping.

In the distance Nott yelled, "It's done, it's done."

There was a flash then green light illuminated the tears running down Harry's face. Draco looked up to see the Dark Mark hovering over Hogwarts, then he looked down the path to where Nott stood next to a Death Eater. Just before they apparated away Draco was sure he saw a lock of white-blond hair fall out from behind the Death Eaters hood.

Harry staggered to his feet and started to make his way back to the castle where all the lights were now on, and Draco followed. Halfway back they were intercepted by Hagrid.

"Harry, what are you doing out here?"

"I was chasing Nott," said Harry sounding numb. "He killed Dumbledore."

"Naw, he couldn't 'ave."

"He did, I saw it."

They were closer to the castle now and could see through the front door, which had remained ajar.

"Whats 'at on the ground of the entrance hall?"

Harry wasn't listening to Hargid anymore, he was running and Draco was following him, up the steps, through the doors and across the stone floor. When they were almost there Harry dropped to his knees and slid the rest of the way. Draco stopped behind him and watched as Harry carefully and lovingly reached out and straightened Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles.

Behind them Hagrid had frozen and was muttering words of denial. Snape came up out of the dungeons and froze in shock, McGonagall let out a sharp gasp, Flitwick a squeak of shock and Sprout a soft scream. By then students had started appearing behind their heads of house and Draco caught snatches of their whispered conversations.

"Everyone, will proceed back to their dormitories, immediately," McGonagall said in a shaking voice. "Prefects, lead your houses back and keep them there."

There was a slight shuffling as some people started to move away.

"Go, NOW," Snape snarled and they finally obeyed.

"Harry," said Draco softly giving a light pull on his sleeve. "We have to go."

Harry shook his head violently, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasley you have a responsibility to your house, fulfill it," McGonagall ordered and with one last look at Harry they finally left.

"Come on," said Draco kneeling down beside him. "There's nothing more you can do, we have to go." Wrapping an arm around him Draco partially lifted Harry to his feet.

"Teachers if you would follow me to the Headmasters office, Hagrid if you would remove…remove…the body from the entrance hall. Mister Potter I want to see you and Mister Malfoy in the Headmaster office as well."

Draco guided Harry up the stairs and along the corridors to the Headmasters office wishing he had words to make it better.

"Acid Pops," said McGonagall and the gargoyle leapt aside to let them in.

Once in the office Draco sat Harry in a chair, remaining standing beside him.

"What happened tonight?" McGonagall asked once the door had closed.

"It was a set up," said Draco numbly. "Some Death Eaters attacked Hogsmeade so that Dumbledore would hurry from the school but Nott was waiting for him in the shadows by the Slytherin dungeon. Harry and I arrived just in time to…to see it happen."

"But why would Albus not fight?" Sprout asked.

"He couldn't really," Snape said. "He'd been injured the last time he was away from the school and was both physically and magically weakened."

"But he was strengthening, wasn't he Severus?" McGonagall asked.

"It's a moot point now, but yes. However he never would have returned to his full strength, at least not before he died."

"What?" McGonagall demanded sharply and even Harry had raised his head to stare at Snape who sneered.

"You didn't honestly think that his hand was some kind of _normal_ injury. It would have eaten away at him, consuming him slowly until he died."

"The deframort curse," Xanders murmured. "But that's almost impossible to put in place, it requires multiple complicated enchantments and potions as well as a dozen virgin sacrifices with each thing done at a specific point in the lunar cycle. And it would have acted much faster, he should have been dead within weeks."

"There are potions to slow down its progress," Snape replied then his left arm twitched. "I have to go report."

Draco assumed he meant to the Death Eaters. But if anyone didn't know that Snape was a double agent their questions died off when McGonagall rounded on Harry.

"Harry, I need to know where you and Headmaster Dumbledore went a couple weeks ago."

"No," said Harry raising his head to look her straight in the eye.

"Potter, now is no time to be stubborn."

"He told me that I was not to tell anyone what happened or where we went."

"That's discounted given present circumstances."

Draco would have crumbled under such questioning after having just lost someone so important to him, but Harry stood up the fire back in his green eyes.

"With all due respect Professor, Professor Dumbledore also told me not to stop following his instructions even in the event of his death."

A ripple of shock seemed to pass around the room.

Hagrid came in then. "I…I've moved it Professor McGonagall. The ministry should be here soon, they just arrived in Hogsmeade."

"Very well then," said McGongall after a moment. "Before the ministry arrives we should plan something for Albus' funeral. He did always want to be buried at the school."

"And he should be," said Hagrid loudly.

"I suppose," said Flitwick. "That the service will be held after the students are sent home, after all the board of governors will not allow Hogwarts to stay open now this has happened."

"No," Harry broke in. "The students should stay they'll want to say…"

"Goodbye," Draco finished for him and Harry nodded.

McGonagall softened. "Very well then, the students will be sent home the day after the funeral. As for the school remaining open well that's up to the board."

"Ministers in the school," one of the portraits interrupted.

"Can I go?" Harry said suddenly.

"You may. And Harry, go straight back to your dormitory, no detours."

Draco followed him out, frowning when he paused to grab something off one of the shelves.

"It's the locket," said Harry then he examined it more closely. "But it's not Slytherins."

"Are you sure it's the one you retrieved? It could always be just a normal locket that he happened to have."

"No, this is it, that's exactly where Dumbledore put it when we came back." Harry then pulled a piece of paper out of it and Draco read it over his shoulder:

_To the Dark Lord,_

_I know I will be long dead before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and plan to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more._

_R.A.B._

"No," said Harry angrily. "That means that everything that happened, everything he risked was for nothing."

"It wasn't. Now you know."

Harry shook his head and with the locket clenched tightly in his fist made his way back to the Gryffindor common room taking the long way to avoid the ministry officials.

They entered the portrait hole and all eyes turned to them.

"Is it true, Harry," Colin Creevey asked. "Is Dumbledore really dead?"

Harry locked his jaw. "It's true. His funeral will be later this week then we'll all be sent home and we may not come back because the ministry might close Hogwarts."

With that he headed over to where Weasley and Granger were sitting at one of the tables and dropped the locket and paper on it.

"The Horcrux wasn't even a real one." He said softly. "It had already been taken."

"But who's R.A.B.?" Granger asked.

"Donno," Harry replied sounding weary. "I'm going to bed."

As he disappeared up the stairs the mournful song of a lone phoenix echoed through the blackness outside.


	9. Chapter 8: The End of an Era

**Chapter 8: The End of an Era**

Witches and Wizards of all ages and from all over the world poured into Hogsmeade with quite a few of them coming up to the school causing it to be a full time job for the staff to keep them out of the building. Harry had taken to carrying the fake Horcrux with him wherever he went, and Granger had been spending every possible second in the library trying to find R.A.B.. Draco's comment that she'd assigned herself an impossible task and would be better off trying to get lists from the Ministry fell of deaf ears, though Granger did try to recruit him to help her. Draco on the other hand had given himself the task of making sure Harry didn't encounter any of the press frequenting Hogwarts grounds from all over the world for Dumbledore's funeral.

The night before McGonagall came into the common room to speak with them. "Tomorrow you shall all be dressed in your school robes which shall be neatly pressed and worn properly. No loose ties, no absent blazers, collars done up and hair brushed."

"We should be wearing dress robes," said Draco loudly. "That's what's done at a funeral, it's respectful."

"Not all the students own dress robes, Mister Malfoy. And in the interest of showing unity and organisation in the school you shall all dress the same."

After she left Draco said, "Well I'm wearing dress robes. What about you lot?"

Weasley shook his head. "I outgrew mine."

Remembering Weasley's disastrous Yule ball robes Draco thought that actually might be a good thing.

"Professor McGongall's right, those few of us who do own dress robes shouldn't stand out," said Granger.

"Mine don't fit either," said Harry. "I haven't bothered buying new one's since the Yule ball because I didn't need them. Now I wish I had."

Draco thought up to the set of dress robes in his trunk, he'd got them at the beginning of the year so they'd been re-ordered when his things had been replaced. "You can wear mine, Harry, and I'll wear my school ones. They should fit since we're almost the same size. If anyone deserves to stand out it's you."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Come on, I'll show them to you."

All four of them went up to the boys dormitory and Draco removed the dress robes from the bottom of his trunk. They were all black with decorative stitching around the collar and cuffs, and were made of a martial that seemed to shimmer in the light.

"There's one problem with them," said Granger. "They have the Malfoy family crest on them."

Laying the robes down on the bed Draco pulled out his wand and carefully used a charm to remove the stitches holding the crest to the robes.

"You can still tell it was there."

"Granger, I'm not done yet."

Pulling out one of his school robes Draco carefully removed the Gryffindor crest then using a stitching charm attached it to the dress robes where his family crest had been. Now you couldn't tell that there had ever been anything there before.

"Try them on."

Harry carefully took the robes from Draco and went into the washroom to change. A moment later he came out and gave them a questioning look.

"Marvellous," said Draco. "Now you just need to comb your hair. I told you it would work, I'm a genius."

- - - - - - -

The next day Draco found himself going around the common room with hair gel and a comb, straightening ties and robes. He still didn't know quite why this mattered to him so much, other then the need to be respectful. A few minutes before McGonagall was scheduled to arrive he dashed up the stairs to find Harry.

Harry was standing in front of a mirror with a comb in hand and his hair most neat except where it seemed to be persisting on standing up at the back.

"I'm trying to decide whether I should gel it or not."

Draco thought back to the Headmaster who had often worn eccentric purple robes and decided that when it came to Potter it didn't matter that much. The others who weren't practically adopted by the Headmaster should try to be respectful as possible but with Potter, Dumbledore would have understood.

"If you gelled it you'd look like an idiot."

"I'll be down in a moment then."

Draco arrived back down in the common room just as McGonagall walked in.

"Listen up everyone. I want you all the line up according to year with first years in a column on my right all the way across the seventh years on my left." There was quite a bit of shuffling as this took place. "When we leave the seventh years will follow directly behind me, then the sixth years and downwards. We will go to the entrance hall where you will meet with your classmates and remain in your lines until we are ready to lead you out of the school."

Harry chose that moment to come down stairs and McGonagall glared at him.

"What did I say about dress robes, Mister Potter?"

"If anyone gets to wear them it should be Harry," said Longbottom. "He was closer to the Headmaster then any of us."

There were nods of agreement throughout the room and McGonagall sighed. "Very well then. You don't have time to change in any case. Follow me."

Draco pulled Harry into line in front of him as they filed out. The Slytherins and Ravenclaws were already in the entrance hall when they arrived and the Hufflepuffs arrived a moment later. Everyone was dressed neatly, even the Slytherins who Draco suspected had been forced to by Snape who looked like he had actually washed his hair. Draco wondered if he should be expecting the end of the world or miracles to start happening.

Then they started walking, with all the houses in synchronization, out the doors and across the lawn. Photographers were doing their best to get Harry on film who was mostly hidden behind Weasley. They were sitting a fair distance back, behind Ministry officials from many countries and the teachers. It made Draco's blood boil for a reason he couldn't explain to see Fudge and Umbridge sitting up near the front.

The silence was broken by the sound of the otherworldly singing coming from the lake where to merpeople floated just bellow the surface. The mournful music was only broken by sobs as Hagrid carried Dumbledore's body to the front, tears streaming down his face and into his beard. A small man stood up and gave a speech that Draco could only half hear and sounded like it was about someone else. Once the man finished his speech he sat down and flames consumed Dumbledores body. When the white tomb appeared at the front a volley of arrows flew through the air to land beside it causing Draco to jump. Looking over at the forest he watched as the centaurs disappeared among the trees. The merpeople disappeared into the depths of the lake once again and slowly people started getting up.

Draco walked up to the tomb and stared at the smooth white surface for a long time feeling as if his heart was in a vice.

"I wasn't supposed to like you, you know," he found himself saying. "All my life I was told that you were the worst thing that had happened to Hogwarts. But that wasn't right. Harry was right when he told me about you, and I guess I finally realised it."

Turning away Draco walked in the direction of the lake where the others were. Rather, Granger was pulling Weasley away from his older brother towards Harry who was talking with the Minister, their voices becoming clearer as Draco drew closer.

"I see you're still…" the Minister started.

"Dumbledore's man through and through, that's right." Harry finished coolly.

There was a long moment of silence then the Minister walked away and Draco joined Harry, Weasley and Granger as they walked to the lake. Weasley complained loudly that he wanted to go back and hit his brother because it would make him feel better.

"I can't believe we might not be coming back here next year," said Granger. "Closing Hogwarts, it's unimaginable."

"Even if it does stay open I'm not coming back," said Harry. "I'm finishing what Dumbledore started and going after those Horcruxes."

"And we'll be right with you, mate," said Weasley.

Harry frowned. "It's going to be dangerous…"

"Harry," said Granger. "You gave us the option of turning back long ago and we didn't take it. It's too late now, we're in this with you until the end."

"Count me in too," Draco added and they all looked at him in shock. "Well I am curious as to how one would protect a Horcrux. Besides, I know a lot of dark spells, you're going to need me."

- - - - - - -

Xanders stood higher up the hill looking down at the four students. Ron was gripped with a resolve as firery as his hair, Hermione's face was set in determination, Harry stood with his jaw and hands clenched, and if she could see his eyes Xanders was certain they'd be filled with green fire. And Draco stood there with a steely determination in his blue grey eyes with his jaw set. So different, yet linked by a common purpose.

"The end of an era."

McGonagall looked over at her from where she stood a few paces away with barley-restrained tears in her eyes. Honestly, sometimes Gryffindors really were too stubborn.

"At the end of an era the old wise battle hero is lost, his torch falling to the ground flickering and in danger of going out and being consumed by darkness. The embers of its glow remain, waiting for the youth to pick it up and restore the light once more."

McGonagall was openly crying now, about time in Xanders opinion, only once you'd grieved you could finally re-take control of your life.

"That was my mentors answer to why we keep on fighting if evil will only rise again and it's only now that I finally understand it. Those youth down there will be the one's to pick up the torch to battle back the darkness and restore light like we've never seen before because they're no longer children, they're adults and they're unlike any others. They're special. They're stronger then us individually and even stronger as a whole and will rally around Harry at the end. And Dumbledore knew it all along."


	10. Chapter 9: It Starts

**PART 2: FLYING**

**Chapter 9: It Starts**

They went to 12 Grimmauld Place, otherwise known as the Black residence, that now belonged to Harry thanks to his godfather. It was no longer under the Fidelus charm now Dumbledore was dead, but Harry figured that it was safe enough for the time being. They all agreed that they needed more information on Horcruxes before they raced out to find them, things like how to identify them and how to destroy them.

Draco had to grudgingly admit that Grangers strategy of 'read anything and everything we can get our hands on' made some sense, especially since they had the entire Black library at their disposal. Like Draco's family library it was mostly filled with books of a more questionable nature, so if there was printed information on Horcruxes anywhere it should be here. And that was how they passed the first three weeks so summer, sitting in the Black family library reading and reading and reading until Draco thought he was going to go stir-crazy.

Then other people started appearing during the day trying to re-form the Order without Dumbledore. They all treated Draco with excess suspicion, becoming totally silent every time he entered the room, which became more and more annoying as time wore on.

"The Order's going to have a meeting here next Saturday," Harry told him softly one evening just as Draco was resisting the temptation to throw the books he'd bee looking at all day into the fire. "I tried to talk them into including you, but they wouldn't have it."

"That's fine. I can do more reading."

Harry sighed. "I'm beginning to think all this reading's a waste of time, we've gone through almost the entire library and there's barely even been any mentions of Horcruxes let alone information on them."

"Be optimistic," Draco told him. "Perhaps we'll get lucky. If not, you have my permission to burn every single book here."

- - - - - - -

Saturday arrived and so did the Order members, some in small groups and some on their own. Draco was selecting books at random off the section of the library shelves that they hadn't touched yet just to disrupt Grangers methodical way of reading though everything. He was planning on taking them to the parlor upstairs where he could not be accused of spying on the meeting, which was taking place in the library.

"What are you doing here, Mister Malfoy?" McGonagall asked when she walked in.

"Making this dull place more beautiful with my very presence," he replied grabbing a very old book with pages falling out and adding it to the top of the stack. Sliding his arms underneath, he scooped them up and put his chin on top of them for balance. "I have also killed Granger and am currently channelling her sprit."

Committing McGonagalls priceless expression to memory, Draco attempted to waltz out with the books but it ended up being more of a stagger.

Arriving up in the parlor he gave a semi-interesting glance around the room. Surprisingly the Black family tapestry still hung on the wall, though that was probably also attached with permanent sticking charm like that stupid portrait in the front hall. Glancing towards the bottom he was surprised to see his own picture and name, then his gaze drifted to the right and all the books he was holding fell to the floor with a clatter.

Regulus Black. He knew that name, because his father had once callously mentioned him as a betrayer of the Dark Lord who had been killed mere days after his desertion. As efficient as Voldemort was that was a little extreme. And family tapestries never included middle names.

R.A.B.

_Where would I hide it if I were him?_ Draco wondered. _I__t wasn't found on him when Voldemort killed him or else it would have been put back in the cave._

Here, his conscious answered him, there's almost no safer place then the Black house with all the enchantments on it.

But where? What would be the best hiding place?

Remembering the case of decorative items downstairs Draco found himself flying down the stairs in the hope that Regulus thought like him and would have hidden it in plain sight where no one would think of looking. He had no idea how much noise he was making as he frantically searched through the cabinet until Harry came out of the library and said;

"Draco, what on earth are you doing?"

"Looking for the locket."

"What makes you think it will be here?"

Draco whirled around and seized the front of Harry's robes. "Regulus Black, once a Death Eater, was killed for betraying the Dark Lord. The note was addressed to the Dark Lord, only Death Eaters call him that, and was signed R.A.B.. Regulus could have had a middle name but it wouldn't have shown up on his family tapestry, they never have middle names on there to save space, and because in the old days some families gave their kids six middle names."

Harry stared at him in shock for a long moment. "We got rid of a lot of stuff when we made this Order Headquarters."

Draco released him and slumped back against the cabinet. "Potter you idiot."

"Do you think I'd have done it if I'd known? I don't even remember if there was a locket." Then a funny look crossed his face and he darted back into the library and grabbed a small squat man by the front of his robes. "When you were stealing things from here last year, did you ever see a large golden locket?"

"Eh? Why?"

"Because it's important you thieving little…"

"Alright, alright yes there was a locket and I sold it. Fetched a right good…"

"WHO did you sell it to?" Harry snarled gripping the little mans robes so tightly in his hands that his knuckles had turned white.

"He sold it to me," said a calm voice on the other side of the room who Draco recognised to be the barman at the Hogs Head. "I can go fetch it if you like."

Harry had let go of the little man who was now rubbing his neck and glaring at Harry.

"Yeah," Harry said hoarsely. "That'd be great."

After he'd left Snape said, "What is this all about, Potter?"

Draco felt his stomach clench in anger at the fact that they'd trust his former Head of House and wouldn't trust him as Harry replied;

"I can't tell you that."

"Can't or wont?"

"Can't. I made a promise to Dumbledore that I wouldn't, and I intend to honour that."

There was a long silence until the barman came back and handed Harry the locket. Draco, Granger and Weasley immediately crowded around to look.

"I had planned on giving it to my brother as a Christmas gift but forgot all about it by the time Christmas came around. You see that S on it, that's Slytherins mark, my brother was always fascinated by Hogwarts things, I suspect that's why he remained there for so long."

"You're Headmaster Dumbledore's brother," Granger said causing Draco, who hadn't even been aware that Dumbledore had a brother, to stare in shock.

"That's right," he said pleasantly. "Quite hard to do anything without comparison when your older brother is loved by the entire wizarding world."

Draco looked at Harry who was staring unblinkingly at the locket with a muscle twitching in his jaw, and had this sudden feeling that Harry was trying as hard as humanly possible not to commit murder in front of a roomful of witnesses.

"Come on," Draco said grabbing him by the arm and pulling him out of the room. Granger and Weasley followed them up the stairs and once they were in the parlour Draco shut the door and locked it. "Alright, Harry?"

There was a moment of absolute silence before he burst out, "If he'd just given him the damn locket for Christmas we would have been able to cross it off the list and NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, AND DUMBLEDORE WOULD STILL BE HERE!"

"Harry," said Granger softly, "Dumbledore didn't know what was in that cave, you could have gone there and uncovered the fake locket anyway and nothing would have changed."

"Granger," said Draco angrily as Harry sank to his knees shaking silently with sobs he was refusing to release, "Your insensitivity is astounding."

Weasley patted Harry on the back. "It's going to be alright, mate."

"No it's NOT, Ron. Nothing will ever be alright again."

Draco knelt in front of Harry and wrapped him in an awkward hug. After a moment Harry resting his forehead on Draco's shoulder, his tears soaking the other boys shirt.

There was a bang as the door flew open to reveal Lupin standing there looking very uncomfortable when he saw the scene in front of him.

"Get out," Draco snapped.

Lupin flinched. "I was just checking that Harry was okay, we heard the yelling downstairs. I only just beat Molly to it; she still doesn't think you're old enough to be involved in this."

"Well we seem to be involved anyway. Now get out." Draco stood up as he said this feeling oddly angry.

"I'd just like to know…"

Draco drew his wand and pointed it at Lupin. "I said get out. This is the last time I tell you."

After taking a good look at Draco's face and deciding that he was serious, Lupin retreated.

Harry stood up slowly. "He's right you know. If we don't prove we can handle this then the Order's going to cut us out and we need to know what's going on. We have to go back down stairs."

Weasley nodded and Granger, looking uncertain, said, "Are you certain that you're alright, Harry."

"I'm fine. There are more important things."

Just as they were walking out Draco called, "Harry, keep the locket just in case."

"I know, Draco, I'm not stupid."

After they'd disappeared Draco took a deep breath and turned back to the books he'd brought up which now lay unceremoniously all over the floor. Pages had fallen out of the old book and with a sigh Draco started picking them up. Grabbing a page that had fallen next to the couch Draco happened to glance at the heading on it and dropped all the pages he had just picked up.

"Horcruxes," he whispered. "I found it. I FOUND IT!"

Scrambling around the room he grabbed the remaining pages and stuck them back in their respective places before opening the book to the Horcruxes section and summoning a quill and parchment. Draco spent the next few hours absorbed in more information on Horcruxes then he wanted or needed.

_On one hand I could now make one easily, not that I'd want to, and on the other hand I now know how to identify them and a few different ways to destroy them. Though Harry's method of stabbing it with a Basalisks fang seemed to work fine and it wasn't on the list._

"What are you doing, Mister Malfoy."

Draco jumped at the sound of Snapes voice from the doorway and slammed the book shut with his notes inside. "I don't see how that's any business of yours."

"Those are very dark books you're reading and taking notes from."

"And there's a good reason for it, but since Dumbledore didn't put you on the list of 'people who could know' I can't tell you."

Snape scowled at him. "The Gryffindors have had a negative effect on you, Mister Malfoy." With that he stalked out.

Hiding the book with his notes in it under he others Draco headed downstairs to find out what was happening. The meeting was over but a few Order members were staying for dinner, which Mrs. Weasley was making.

Walking up to Harry, Draco whispered in his ear, "I found it."

"What?" Harry's eyes widened.

"I found the Horcruxes stuff. I'll show it to you later."

"Snapes getting suspicious of what we're up too," Weasley reported. "He was asking questions afterwards, and he wanted to see the locket."

"He came up to see me too," Draco said grimly. "And questioned the books I was reading."

"Well now we've got the information we just need to figure out where he could have put them, so we'll be out of here and away from Snape soon enough," said Harry.

"He might be able to help us," Granger put in.

"What, and give him information that could get back to the Dark Lord should anything go wrong?" said Draco at the same moment Harry said;

"Snape wouldn't help me. He hates me."

"He hates all of us," Weasley added. "Even Malfoy now he left Slytherin."

"Still…" Granger started.

Draco snorted. "I am Professor Snape, I hate showers, sunlight, flowers, butterflies and children, especially that Potter brat and his friends because Potters father used me as his whipping boy and I am unable to overcome the trauma of my past."

Weasley laughed, Harry grinned and Granger looked disapproving.

"He wouldn't help Harry unless Dumbledore order him to, and since Dumbledore's dead…" Draco trailed off uncomfortably as the good mood evaporated.

"Dinner," Mrs. Weasley announced and Draco felt a little selfish relief at the fact that it would break the tension between them.

Dinner was a rather quiet affair since no one seemed to want to say much with Draco there. He was quite glad when it finished, though it did not end calmly since Weasleys' mother wanted him home and he insisted on staying with them.

"I haven't murdered them in their sleep yet, and don't plan to," said Draco stiffly after she'd given him another suspicious look. "Nor do I think you would trust me at your home so we're much better off here."

"I'd prefer you home, Ron," she tried one more time.

"And I promised Harry that I'd help him with the task Dumbledore gave him," Ron replied.

"Molly," said Mr. Weasley tiredly. "If Dumbledore assigned it, it's got to be important. And if Ron promised Harry then he has to honour that. He's getting to the age where we can't protect him by sheltering him at home any more. Like his brothers he's of age and free to make his own decisions."

Draco had newfound respect for Mr. Weasley. The man's strange muggle obsession and lack of ability to earn any of money aside, he was a decent person. Which was more then Draco could say for his own father.

"He's barely 17, Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked at a pitch that made Draco wince.

"Yet he's dealt with more than the rest of the Order already. It's time to let go and trust him and Harry and Hermione and Draco to fulfill Dumbledore's last assignment."

After the other's had left Draco breathed a sigh of relief and lead them up stairs.

"It was in this book all along," he said pulling out the book and his notes. "Mostly it talks about the process of making a Horcrux and how to use one to bring your self back from the dead, so to speak. It also mentions a spell for identifying one and a few basic methods of destroying them. But, before I get to that Harry, does this recipe look anything like the one Voldemort used to resurrect himself?" Draco handed Harry the book opened to the appropriate page and pointed to the relevant part.

Harry frowned as he looked at it, "I didn't see the whole thing, but the end definitely matches up with what I remember from the graveyard. What does that mean then?"

"Well the point of a Horcrux is even if your body and the piece of soul that's in it are destroyed, you don't die because another piece of your soul is elsewhere. Therefore, theoretically, you end up stuck in a state where you're not really alive because you don't have a body, but you're not really dead because not all of your soul has been destroyed. In order to be resurrected you need to find another body for a piece of soul to inhabit, either by possessing someone, or by creating a new body.

Now if you possess someone your soul still stays attached to whatever object your Horcrux is, just like if you were to posses someone now your soul would still be attached to your body. That's safer if you want to keep your soul intact, but very hard to do and energy consuming. Therefore, there is a way to create a new body and put a piece of your soul in it. The formula in this book describes how to go about that, and as it seems that Voldemort followed this to create his current body, it means that he had to, in essence, destroy a Horcrux to do it."

There was a moment of silence before Granger said, "If you're right, then there would only be three Horcruxes left, not four, provided that Regulus went about destroying this one in the correct manner."

"I really don't see how I can be wrong, given the facts," Draco replied.

Harry pulled out the locket. "Well let's see if Regulus did this right then."

Pulling out his wand, Draco spun his wrist in a counter-clockwise motion then tapped the locket while incanting, "Revelio Horcrux."

The locket was enveloped in a light blue glow for a few seconds before it faded away.

Granger consulted Draco's notes. "A light blue glow that fades quickly means the object was once used as a Horcrux but the piece of the soul has either been removed or destroyed. If it was vibrant blue that took a long time to fade then it contains a piece of a soul."

"So we know that one's dealt with," said Draco evenly. "In other words, four down, three to go."


	11. Chapter 10: The Cup

**Chapter 10: The Cup**

Draco wanted to race right out and look for the Horcruxes, unfortunately they had to wait for Potter to turn 17 so he could legally perform magic. Though with Hogwarts being shut down there was nothing to expel him from.

Finally, Harry's birthday arrived and it was marked with an influx of Weasleys who thought Harry needed a big celebration for his coming of age. Mrs. Weasley also seemed to think that the occasion warranted a lot of tears besides the cake and presents.

"The first thing we do tomorrow is head to the ministry so I can take my Apparition test and Ron can re-take his," Harry said that night in a low voice as they headed up to bed.

"I hate to burst your bubble," Draco replied. "But there are no scheduled Apparition tests tomorrow."

"They'll make an exception for me," Harry answered causing Draco to give him a doubtful look.

Harry woke everyone up at seven the next morning drawing a string of curse words from Draco.

"We need to be at the Ministry before the Minister, now get up."

"How'd you know when the Minister gets there?"

"I asked Mr. Weasley yesterday, normally it's around 8, which means we just have enough time to get there since I slept in."

Grumbling Draco pulled himself out of bed, found some clothes and moments later found himself flooing into the Ministry atrium. Harry went up to the welcome witch, pushed his hair back off his forehead so she could clearly see his scar and pleasantly asked which department dealt with apparition testing and how to get there. After she finished stammering in shock she directed them to the correct floor and they headed for the elevators.

Using much the same method, Harry was able to talk a witch into letting both him and Ron take their apparition tests. Draco and Granger stood guard to make sure that the Minister didn't show up early and try to catch Harry. As he stood there leaning against the wall Draco contemplated the fact that Harry had never used the fact that he was the-boy-who-lived before to get anything, and decided that when things needed to be done fast he was willing to bow down to his Slytherin side.

"Let's go," said Harry as soon as they came back with their apparation licences. "I want to go to Godric's Hollow to visit my parents graves before we start out."

They had just walked to the apparation point when the Minister arrived.

"Harry, what brings you here? Have you re-considered my offer?"

Harry didn't answer simply using his new licence to apparate away. Smiling smugly at the expression on the Minister's face, Draco followed.

Godrics Hollow wasn't anything like he'd imagined. As a boy when he'd been told tales of the place of the Dark Lord's demise, Draco had always pictured a very dark forbidding place, but now he was faced with a rather ordinary seeming muggle community. Most of the homes were set back off the road behind fences or bushes, some muggles had parked their cars in the street and there was the sound of children playing in the distance.

"Do you think we were seen apparating in?" Granger asked nervously from behind him.

"Donno," Harry replied starting off down the street. "If we were we'll find out soon enough I expect."

Harry seemed oblivious to the cars racing down the street, causing Granger to yelp a few times when he stepped off the sidewalk suddenly to cross the road.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Weasley asked.

"Just a feeling," Harry replied.

Turning down a side street they'd only taken a few steps when Harry said, "Something happened here."

Draco looked at him like he was crazy but as they moved down the street a few more feet he could see around the tree across the road to the remains of a house.

Suddenly Harry was moving across the road and climbing over the wall in front of the house. Taking a deep breath, Draco followed as Harry made his way across the weed-covered lawn.

"We shouldn't be here," Granger whispered giving voice to the panicked feeling that was rising in Draco's chest demanding that he run in the other direction.

Deciding that was what was keeping muggles away from the place, he drew his wand with determination and made his way through the remains of a wall and inside. Much of the building had collapsed on itself and there were shards of glass and pieces of furniture everywhere. However there was no plant growth over the ruins, it was almost as if it had just happened.

Harry made his way into the only room that was still mostly intact. The blue wallpaper had faded, and it was sparsely furnished with a chest of drawers and a crib. Stopping a couple feet from the crib Harry said;

"Here. It was here."

A breeze from nowhere ruffled Harry's hair but Draco couldn't feel it from where he stood barely a foot away. Raising his wand he incanted the Horcrux revealing charm only to have the air all around them glow faintly blue.

"What does that mean?" Granger whispered from where she stood clutching Weasley's arm.

"I think," Draco said. "I think it means that Horcrux magic has been used here. Which means that Harry's right and this is where the Dark Lord attempted to kill him."

"It is," Harry said turning around to face them his eyes shining with a strange light. "I can feel it."

"Harry," said Granger, "That's impossible."

"No its not. Dumbledore said that magic done by certain people had a certain feel to it."

"And despite the fact that you've read most of the library Granger, I think it would be better to trust Dumbledore's knowledge," said Draco.

"Can we go now?" Weasleys voice sounded slightly strangled and no one objected.

Illogically, it seemed much brighter out once they were out in the street even though there was nothing to darken the inside of the house. Glancing back at the house Draco shivered slightly before following Harry down the street. The graveyard was just around the corner and they let Harry go in on his own.

Leaning back against the gates Draco thought about how important it had been to Harry to come here, and how much he'd like to go back home himself. _Would the Dark Lord have felt the same after leaving Hogwarts and being out on his own?_ Draco started to snort at his own stupidity, and then thought about it. Harry had said that the Dark Lord had stored Horcruxes in places that were important to him, what was stopping him from storing one in a place that he considered home?

Harry walked back to where they stood his face set.

"I've been thinking," said Draco. "Everyone is always somewhat attached to the place that they grew up so it could be possible that the Dark Lord hid a Horcrux in the orphanage he grew up in."

Harry frowned. "Dumbledore always said that Voldemort was more attached to Hogwarts then the orphanage."

"I still think it would be worth looking at just in case. We have nothing to loose from it."

"We can hardly just walk right in and start looking," Granger pointed out.

"Can't we use Harry's invisibility cloak?"

"Weasley," said Draco, "Do you honestly think the four of use are going to fit under it?"

Weasley frowned. "Do you have a better idea, Malfoy?"

"Yes, actually. You and Granger go as if you're a couple looking to adopt a kid, meanwhile Harry and I will sneak around under his invisibility cloak. Your presence will distract them from anything we might be doing and we should be able to find the Horcrux."

"There's one problem with that," said Granger. "Neither Ron or I look old enough to be adopting a child."

"Did you or did you not take Transfiguration?"

"Oh, well, yes."

"Then what's the problem?"

Grangers face flushed, "Well, nothing I suppose."

"So let's get going."

It was Granger who found the exact location of the orphanage using a muggle phonebook and map after getting the name from Harry. Weasley and Granger performed the appearance-altering transfiguration spells before they got Harry's invisibility cloak and apparated into an alley nearby. Throwing the cloak over them both Harry and Draco shuffled after Weasley and Granger while trying not to interfere with any muggles.

"Careful, or our feet will end up showing," Harry muttered.

"I am trying to be careful," Draco snapped. "Weasley and Granger are moving too fast."

Finally they arrived at the orphanage and Draco and Harry just managed to get in the door after Weasley and Granger.

"So, where to?" Draco whispered as Weasley and Granger went to speak to the receptionist.

Pulling out his wand Harry whispered "Accio Horcurx."

There was a loud rumble and the floor under them creaked ominously.

"Well there's one here anyway," Harry murmured. "I think the rumble came from that direction so let's go that way."

As they slipped off down the hall Draco glanced over at Weasley and Granger who were trying to claim that they hadn't noticed anything at all out of the ordinary.

They made their way past the dining hall where the children were finishing lunch and lining up to go play in the yard and further along the corridor by some dormitories, before reaching the end of the hall.

"I didn't see anything obvious," Harry muttered.

Draco drew his wand and incanted various spells to reveal other spell magic, one of them finally attached to something creating a glowing outline of a door on a wall. "It's a concealment charm, I'm not sure which type but I should be able to break through it."

"I hope so," Harry muttered. "I didn't do very well with concealment charms."

Slipping out from under the cloak, Draco spent close to fifteen minutes working on the concealment charm while Harry, who had taken the cloak off, kept an eye out with a worried expression. Finally Draco was able to reveal a door, and after checking it for curses opened it.

"This is the room that Voldemort had as a boy, at least I think it is. It seems to match the one from Dumbledore's memory," Harry said as they walked in.

Raising his wand Draco incanted a spell to detect trace magic causing the cabinet in the room to glow ominously. Walking over to the cabinet Draco tried a couple of spells for detecting curses, but noting came up. Scowling, he pointed his wand at the door and said, "Alohomora."

He was tackled to the floor by Harry as a bolt of blue lightening shot out from the door handle.

"No alohomora then," Draco croaked.

"I'd say not," Harry replied dryly.

Getting up, Draco backed up to the doorway and said to Harry, "be ready to duck and hide behind the door frame." Pointing his wand at the cabinet he incanted a high powered blasting curse then dove behind the doorframe as another blue lighting bolt came at him.

"Any more bright ideas?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Draco glanced at the cabinet which had a big charred spot on it where his blasting curse had hit it. "You know that blasting curse I used, we're both going to send it at the same spot at the same time."

"There is probably a better way to go about this," Harry muttered.

"Yes, but I don't have time to play with the logic puzzle. Hit it hard enough and it should break. Ready, one, two, three!"

There was a brilliant explosion, and when they looked back in the room Helga Hufflepuff's cup sat spinning in a giant charred spot on the floor.

"Ha!" Draco exclaimed and dashed into the room to grab it. He'd just picked it up off the floor when the floor almost collapsed out from under him.

Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him away but the hole in the floor kept widening. "Run," Harry yelled.

They took off full tilt down the hallway, through the dining hall, and out the door they'd seen the children using earlier.

"Get away from the building," Harry yelled as they burst out into the yard.

Weasley and Granger didn't need to be told twice and their exit prompted everyone else to follow.

Dashing out into the street Draco narrowly avoided getting hit by a car as there was an ominous rumble behind him as the orphanage and the yard it was on disappeared into what appeared to be a giant sink-hole.

Harry stood beside him with his hands resting on his knees as he gasped for breath.

"Do you still have your cloak?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. "It's in my pocket, thankfully."

"Might want to get it out then. It wont be long before Ministry officials are here, and if they see us we'll be held up for days. And if they get their hands on Hufflepuff's cup we'll never see it again and the Horcrux will never be destroyed."

Pulling it out, Harry threw it over both of them and they carefully made their way through the crowd to a deserted alleyway where they apparated back to 12 Grimmauld Place and went to the sitting room to wait for Weasley and Granger.

Bored, Draco pulled the cup out of his pocket and practised the Horcrux revealing charm on it only to have it glow a vibrant blue.

"Wait until Ron and Hermione are here before you destroy it. That way we'll all learn how to do it," Harry said.

Draco sighed sitting there tossing the cup from hand to hand. Ten minutes later Granger and Weasley finally arrived.

"The Ministry got there just after you both disappeared," Granger said. "We only just got away."

"Now everyone's here," Draco cut in as he placed the cup on the coffee table. "If you'd close the door I'll show you how to deal with this."

It took Draco almost twenty minutes to perform the complicated spell and it left him feeling very drained afterwards.

Then Granger tested the cup just to make sure. "It looks like you did this right after all."

"I'm much more competent then you give me credit for, you know."

"Now it's just Nagini left," Harry said. "She'll be wherever Voldemort's headquarters are."

"So all we have to do is break in and kill her, then go get him," said Ron.

"Piece of cake," Draco said sarcastically.


	12. Chapter 11: The Snake

**Chapter 11: The Snake**

They had decided that the most likely place for Voldemort to have his headquarters was the Riddle house. By "they" Draco meant the other three as he certainly disagreed with them. After all, it was too bloody obvious to pick the place where he'd been resurrected as his base of operations, someone else should have found out by now, because you'd think that kind of place would be investigated. That and it lacked proper Slytherin cunning. None the less, the day after finding the cup they'd apparated to just outside the neighbouring village and had begun the long walk up the road to the old Riddle house.

"Why couldn't we have apparated closer and saved this long walk," Draco complained as they made their way up the hill.

"We don't know what kind of wards they have up," Granger replied stiffly. "If we'd apparated in close by we could have alerted them to our presence."

"So we exhaust ourselves instead? That's good if we're going to have to fight later."

"Malfoy, if you hate this so much then just go home," Weasley spat. "I certainly wouldn't care."

"You forget, Weasley, that I can't go home. I want Voldemort gone as much as you do, I just think this is poor strategic planning as a way to go about it."

"Would you both just be quiet?" Harry asked sound aggravated. "We're almost there."

The gate creaked ominously as they made their way through it and headed up the driveway. As they moved into the shadow of the huge house Draco reached into his pocket and closed his hand around his wand wondering if they should make some sort of plan first.

Drawing his own wand, Harry pushed the front door open eliciting a loud creek and went inside.

"Well if there's anyone here they've just heard the door," Draco muttered and followed him.

"Lumos," Harry muttered so they could look around.

"Gloomy place, isn't it," Weasley said.

"Ron," Granger hissed, "keep your voice down."

"I don't think there's anyone here anyway," Draco whispered as they made their way along the hallways. "Look at all the dust on most things, if they were using this place as some sort of headquarters the dust should be disturbed at least a little."

"He's right," Granger said as they made their way up the stairs. "Which means they're using some place we don't know about as headquarters."

"I told you so," Draco muttered causing Weasley to glare at him but before he could say anything Granger let out a shriek.

"Oww, my ears," Draco complained, then he saw what caused the shriek and paled. Just at the edge of the light from Harry's wand was a pile of human bones.

Weasley shivered. "Let's get out of here, mate. Like Hermione and Malfoy already said, there isn't anything worthwhile here anyway."

"I'll double check," Harry muttered. "Accio Horcrux."

Nothing happened.

"Alright, they're not here, let's go."

They'd made their way back down the stairs and were walking along the hallway when they head the creak of the front door.

"Someone's here," Granger hissed.

"Nox," said Harry.

Draco attempted to apparate away only to find something blocking him. "They have anti-apparition wards up."

"We'll have to get out in the yard then," Harry said grimly. "I know you can apparate from out there."

"How are we going to get past them though?" Granger asked.

"Weasley, Granger, go over by that wall and Harry and I will go over by this one then we'll catch them in the crossfire," Draco whispered.

Weasley started to object but Harry said, "Just do it, Ron. And use stunners, but make sure we can see all of them first."

The door creaked some more and someone said, "Damn that door. If they're still here they'll certainly know we're here."

Draco was certain that the beating of his own heart would give him away as he saw a light from a wand at the end of the hall. Gripping his wand tighter he prayed that his sweaty hand wouldn't cause him to drop it. Slowly six death eaters made their way around the corner and down the hall towards them.

Suddenly, and in almost complete unison, Harry, Weasley and Granger released stunners, Draco did so a second later and three Death Eaters collapsed with the one in the front being hit twice. Then pandemonium broke loose.

Harry threw up the complicated diamond block that Xanders had tried to teach them for bonus marks that was capable to blocking 4 or 5 spells. The ease with which he used it made Draco jealous, but he was also thankful that someone could do properly it as all the spells came whizzing at them.

They quickly stunned two of the other Death Eaters, but the final one managed to evade the stunners before pointing his wand at Harry and yelling, "Crucio."

Harry went down with a scream of pain and Draco, Granger and Weasley caught the Death Eater in the chest with three stunners sending him flying back into the wall with a sickening thud.

Harry got up shakily. "Let's go before anymore show up."

They jogged down the hall and out the door, just before they apparated away Draco grabbed a hold of Harry. "I'm going to do a side-along apparition so you don't splinch yourself."

A moment later they were all back at 12 Grimmauld Place.

"I probably could have made it on my own you know," said Harry as they went to sit down in the lounge.

"I didn't want to risk it," Draco said. "The last thing we need is for you to splinch yourself, which is likely to happen if you're in pain from the Cruciatus curse."

"It wasn't that bad. Voldemort's was a hundred times worse."

Draco spluttered, "You got put under the Cruciatus curse by Voldemort?"

"Yeah, in fourth year. That's one of the things that happened when I got transported to the graveyard outside the Riddle House at the end of the third task."

Draco stared at him wordlessly for a long minute before deciding to change the subject slightly. "I think the one thing that comes out of this is that we need to be willing to use unforgivable curses."

"They're illegal," said Granger hotly. "We can't use them."

"Then how else do you expect us to be able to kill Voldemort? We're going to have to use the killing curse at least."

"But," said Weasley in a hesitant tone, "in order to use an unforgivable you have to really mean it."

"Then I suggest we do."

- - - - - - -

After dinner that evening they were back in the lounge and Harry was dozing on one of the couches and Draco was reading the Evening Prophet when Granger suddenly said;

"Don't you find it a bit odd that there were Death Eaters sent after us?"

"What do you mean?" Weasley asked.

"Well if the house isn't being used as some sort of headquarters, and there isn't a Horcrux there that we could find then what would be the purpose of protecting the place?"

"Unless it was a trap for Harry," said Draco.

"No," said Harry slowly sitting up. "If they'd known it was me Voldemort would have personally come. It seemed like we tripped some sort of alarm just by entering the house and so they came to investigate."

Weasley frowned. "But why would they have an alarm?"

"That's the real question," said Draco.

Silence descended over the room and Draco went back to his paper. Suddenly a door slammed and Mrs. Black started shrieking, then the door to the lounge flew open with such force Draco was surprised it didn't come off its hinges, and Snape stood their glowering at them.

"You look cheerful, Professor," Draco said looking at him over the top of his paper.

Snape ignored him. "What did you think you were doing, Potter, going into the Riddle House like that?"

Glaring, Harry replied, "Trying to complete the task that Dumbledore asked me to do. There wasn't anything there anyway so why all the fuss?"

"The Riddle House is used for Death Eater initiations and the Dark Lord was most displeased that someone had found their way into it."

"The door was unlocked, we just walked in," Weasley said. "If Voldemort really didn't want people there, he'd lock the door."

"If there was any sense between the lot of you, you would have consulted someone before charging off to get yourselves killed."

Draco folded up his paper and looked at his former head of house. "Then will you tell us where Voldemort normally holds his meetings if it's not at the Riddle House?"

"Certainly not, Mr. Malfoy."

"Then how can we possibly consult anyone before 'charging off to get ourselves killed' as you so gently put it?"

"You should leave it to those with much greater experience then you," Snape spat, "Instead of meddling needlessly and causing problems for everyone else." He then spun around and swept out of 12 Grimmauld Place slamming the door behind him.

"Well that was helpful," Draco muttered sarcastically. "How old does he think we are, four?"

There was a knock at the door and they looked up to see Lupin. "What did you do to get Snape to go off like that?"

"Exist," Weasley said. "You should see him in potions if you thought that was bad."

Shaking his head, Lupin was turning to leave when a thought struck Draco.

"Sir, Professor Snape hasn't mentioned a place where the Death Eaters meet regularly to the Order has he?"

Lupin frowned. "Most of the time it's at different places, but Snape has mentioned that old Moore Castle has been used a few times." Draco fought to keep the delight off his face as Lupin said, "Now don't do anything rash with that information."

Smiling slightly Draco tried to project an aura of innocence as he said, "Of course not sir." He waited until Lupin's footsteps had faded away before getting up to close the door and turning back to the others with a big grin. "That's excellent news."

"How so?" Harry asked looking doubtful.

"Moore Castle is an old wizarding castle, it's fallen into such disrepair now that not even wizards go near it anymore. However, my father took me there when I was little and I know the place inside-out. If that's the location that Voldemorts using, which would make a lot of sense, then I can get us into it without him knowing."

Harry frowned. "You're positive?"

"Absolutely. Though I suggest that we wait a while before going as Voldemorts probably on alert given what happened today. That and I think Lupin would be suspicious if we were getting ready to go out tomorrow."

There were nods all around.

"Alright," said Harry. "We should probably practise duelling before we go, because if today was any indicator we're going to need it."

- - - - - - -

Two weeks later they set out after dinner for Moore Castle. Draco had thought it better if they arrived at dusk because they had less of a chance of being spotted that way. He was glad they'd finally got around to it, he might have gone crazy if he'd had to remained cooped up in 12 Grimmauld Place, as useful as the duelling practise had been. With him he carried a knife that he found in the attic, thinking that they might need it to kill Nigani. After all the book had said that if someone was unwise enough to use a living creature as a Horcrux all you had to do was kill it to destroy the piece of soul.

"You're sure you know where we're going?" Weasley sounded doubtful as they made their way through the swamp that backed onto the castle.

"Yes. As I said before, I used to spend hours exploring here as a child. I could fly out here on my broom as it isn't too far from the manor, so I know the pathway through the swamp to the back of the castle. They're less likely to be watching the back then the front, after all." Draco glanced back at the others. "And make sure you follow me exactly, if you step off the path I'm not sure we can pull you back out."

They continued on in silence until they reached a grate at the bottom of the hill the castle sat on. With some work Draco was able to remove the grate from the pipe it was covering.

"We should be able to get up here and into the dungeons, though I was a lot smaller the last time I crawled through this."

"What was this originally used for?" Weasley asked as they made their way up the pipe.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Draco replied.

They finally exited the pipe into the lavatory of the dungeon.

"Oh, gross," said Granger.

"As I said, you didn't want to know." Granger gave Draco a disgusted look which he ignored. "Now follow me, and keep an eye out for Death Eaters."

They made their way as quietly as possible along the dungeon corridors and just before they reached the stairs they heard voices coming from the guard room.

Draco peaked around the corner and then drew back to whisper to the others, "There's three of them in there. It's probably best to use non-verbal stunners so we attract as little attention as possible."

Minutes later they left three unconscious Death Eaters behind and slowly made their way up the stairs to the courtyard. They froze a couple steps from the top and Draco's heart was beating painfully fast.

In the center of the courtyard stood Voldemort talking to Wormtail, Nigani was slithering around the edges.

"Alright," Harry whispered. "I'm going to call her over, then when she comes, Draco stab her in the head with your knife."

White-lipped Draco nodded feeling more frightened then he ever had in his life. A low hissing from Harry made him jump, then Nigani was slithering towards them. Unsheathing the dagger Draco held it tightly, his heart pounding.

Upon seeing them Nigani seemed to realise immediately that they were intruders and opened her mouth to strike but Draco was already in motion brining the dagger down through her skull. Blood so dark it was almost black oozed out and she thrashed around for a moment before lying still.

Just as Draco remembered to breathe again a voice rang out across the courtyard;

"Look Wormtail, Harry Potter has come to join usss."


	13. Chapter 12: The Showdown

**Chapter 12: The Showdown**

"Look Wormtail, Harry Potter has come to join usss."

Standing up straight Harry walked up the last couple of stairs into the courtyard, drawing his wand Draco followed along with Weasley and Granger.

"And he'sss brought hisss friendsss. You don't mind then, Harry, if I call mine." Grabbing Wormtail, Voldemort touched his finger to the Dark Mark and other Death Eaters began apparating in around them.

Harry just stood there starring at Voldemort until they'd finished arriving. "I've come to kill you." There was some laughter from the Death Eaters that Harry ignored. "I found out your secret, with the Horcruxes." The laughter stopped. "There's seven parts to your soul, the first one was destroyed when you tried to kill me as a baby, one of them is in you now because you had to add an object with a piece in to the potion that you created your new body with, aren't I right Wormtail?"

"Yes, it was a bookmark of Ravenclaw's."

"Sssilence, Wormtail." Voldemort no longer looked amused.

"The third was in the diary that Mr. Malfoy gave Ginny that I destroyed, the fourth was the Marvolo ring that Dumbledore destroyed last summer, the fifth was destroyed by Regulus Black when he deserted, the sixth was Hufflepuff's cup that we destroyed a couple of weeks ago, and the seventh was Nigani." With that Harry reached behind him and held the snakes body up by the dagger in its head. "You're mortal again, Voldemort," Harry said throwing the snakes body to the ground. "And I'm going to kill you."

There was something akin to terror on Voldemorts face. Then he ordered, "Get them, but no unforgivables, Potter is mine."

"Split up," Harry ordered as the Death Eaters came at them.

Draco was suddenly glad of the week's of duelling practise and that he'd actually paid attention in Defence Against the Dark Arts this year as he tried to help Harry cut a path through the Death Eaters to Voldemort. Ducking under a spell he threw a stunner back at the Death Eater trying to incapacitate as many as possible.

Suddenly bodies of Death Eaters were flying threw the air, hit by some spell that Draco didn't recognise. Glancing over Draco saw that Snape had his mask off and was attacking the Death Eater ranks from the back.

"Traitor!" Voldemort bellowed and tried to hit him with the killing curse. Snape ducked around it, and it struck another Death Eater. Voldemort didn't try again.

Snape's seemingly sudden deflection added just the level of pandemonium that they needed to start making some progress. That and he was effective as the four of them combined.

Draco didn't have a chance to properly appreciate how good a dueller Snape actually was as he focused on blocking the spells flying at him. Two Death Eaters headed his way and he flung a chain binding curse at them sending them toppling to the ground, one of their masks fell off and he was shocked to see Goyle's face. He didn't have a chance to think about the fact that he was fighting his old friends, though, as he dove out of the way of a hex he didn't recognize.

"Ron!" he heard Granger yell, but didn't have a chance to look over and see what had happened to Weasley as he sent a blasting curse at the feet of several Death Eaters sending them flying.

The crowd between them and Voldemort had thinned drastically to a number that Draco probably could have counted quickly, and he was just starting to think that they'd win when he heard a cold voice say;

"Avada Kedavra."

Spinning around in horror, Draco expected to see the curse strike Harry only to see Wormtail dive in front of it for an inexplicable reason.

Harry recovered from his shock first and pointed his wand at Voldemort, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Voldemort fell to the ground with a surprised look etched forever upon his face.

Most of the Death Eaters started to flee either on foot, or apparating away. Bellaetrix Lestrange let out an inhuman howl, and started for Harry but she'd forgotten about Snape who she'd been fighting with and his killing curse struck her square in the back.

Granger had gone over to kneel by Weasley, who didn't look too bad off, and Draco had started walking towards Harry who was standing there starring at Voldemorts body when out of the corner of his eye he saw his father removing his mask. Lucius Malfoy looked like someone who had nothing to loose as he pointed his wand at Harry.

Draco dove, tackling Harry to the ground and felt the chill of the killing curse wash over his head before it stuck the wall. Looking up he saw his father re-aiming as Harry searched for his glasses, and only one thing came to mind as Draco raised his wand to point it at his father;

"Avada Kedavra."

Lucius Malfoy's body seemed to fall in slow motion and all Draco could think as he knelt there was, _now there'll never be a time when I can pretend that I didn't want my father dead more then anything else_.

Slowly he got shakily to his feet and looked at Harry.

"It's over," Harry said sounding relieved. "Thank god it's over."

Draco could only nod in agreement.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_It's hard to believe that Voldemort's been dead five years_, Draco thought as he stared out the window of the Aurors office. After he'd finished Hogwarts he'd gone with Harry into Auror training, where, despite everything, he'd still been given suspicious looks because he was a Malfoy and Malfoy's didn't become Aurors, they created problems for them. It had been a long time since he'd been a typical Malfoy.

After his father's death he'd inherited both the manor and the money, but he'd given the manor and a large sum to his mother as he never wanted to see the place again. Because of it he'd also never seen his mother again, which didn't bother him as much as he thought it should. She didn't want anything to do with him, he was a disgrace to her and she'd disowned him, simple as that. Even now the narrow views that had made her do so made him shake his head.

The last year at Hogwarts had been strange, everything that had seemed so important when he'd been younger, like quidditch and house points suddenly seemed so trivial after everything he'd done. He'd gone back to Slytherin with all the others who had chosen exile, which had been an odd experience in itself. There had only been two of them in seventh year, himself and Blaise Zabini, the rest had all been arrested with the other Death Eaters. He'd worked especially hard that year on trying to build bridges between Slytherin and the other houses, in hopes that if they could avoid having one house isolated from the others they could avoid having anything like that happen ever again.

Snape was Headmaster now, that had apparently been one of Dumbledore's last wishes, and he too was pushing house unity. Ironic since he'd been the most partisan of all teachers. McGonagall was still deputy Headmistress, and Xanders had stayed in the Defence post. The potions professor that had replaced Snape was so opposite of him that she'd almost put the seventh year class into shock on the first day, as Harry had said 'she's too _helpful_'.

Hermione had finished at the top of their class, to the surprise of no one, and was now working in the experimental charms field. Ron had gone on to play professional quidditch, and was doing quite well. If he kept it up it was quite likely that he'd make the next national team for the world cup. He and Hermione had also got married and already had one bushy-haired redhead running around, others were sure to follow.

Now a days, he and Harry were in agreement that it was too quiet around the Auror's office. All the known Death Eaters had been rounded up, and outside of the occasional troublemaker there wasn't much to do outside of paperwork. The on-going joke in the office was that those who received first class Order of Merlin's got bored much too easily. Though a lot of the time Draco wished that he hadn't been one of the four youngest ever recipients of an Order of Merlin, because he hated thinking about why he got it. He never spoke about it, and neither did the others, even when there was all the pressure to around this time of the year.

"Draco."

He turned around at the sound of Harry's voice. "Yeah?"

"I just got an owl from Snape. Dumbledore's portrait has just woken up, and he wants to talk to you, me, Ron and Hermione."

"Took his sweet time didn't he," Draco muttered. Signing out early, Draco and Harry apparated to Hogsmeade where they met up with Ron and Hermione to walk up to the castle.

They could already hear voices as they approached the top of the spiral staircase. Harry knocked and the voices fell silent as Snape said;

"Enter."

Snape looked as stern as ever, but the other two people in the room looked happier to see them. McGonagall gave them a smile that was usually reserved for her favourite students, and Xanders looked away from the window to give them a slight smile and nod.

"Harry, my boy, it's been quite a while."

They all looked up to Dumbledore's portrait over the desk, and Draco saw Harry swallow hard.

"Tell me, what all did I miss?"

There was a pause before Harry started speaking, within minutes Draco had joined in the telling with Ron and Hermione adding things occasionally. There was something amazingly therapeutic about finally being able to tell this story without interruptions, and to someone who wasn't looking for it to be sugar-coated.

After they'd finished Dumbledore stroked his beard and said, "You know I never thought of looking in the orphanage, it seems inherently obvious now. As does the fact that a piece of his soul was destroyed when he was first killed. That's the problem when you have to deal with Horcruxes, so much of the information has been lost because the old, old dark arts books with the information have been destroyed and it isn't anywhere else in that amount of detail." Then he smiled. "Congratulations to all of you for such excellent work. And I do hope you'll come and visit often."

Snape scowled at the prospect, but they said that they would.

"You know," Harry said in a contemplative tone on the way back. "It feels like I finally have some closure on the whole thing."

Draco nodded. "I agree."

- - - - - - -

Back in the Headmasters office, McGonagall was talking;

"They all look so grown up now. It's hard to believe that only four years ago they were still students here."

"They were grown up even then," Xanders said. "They'd grown up after facing down Voldemort, you could tell when they were in seventh year that the school was in many ways already too small for them."

"Liz," said Dumbledore addressing Xanders for the first time and causing her to look slightly startled. "You were right about Draco, you've been right about him all along. He simply needed someone to trust him enough to show him another way."

**FIN**


End file.
